Always III: A Twist in Time
by MusicMelis
Summary: Harry's third year is full of danger and surprises as Sirius Black is on the loose causing his father to be overprotective, Dementors are making him relive his mother's death, his friends are fighting, and most shocking of all is the Malfoy's changing sides. Severitus
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: This is the third story in my Always series…hope you enjoy! **

Harry Snape flew up towards the sky as high as the wards would let him. He then began doing swirls towards the earth, pulling up before he could hit the ground. It was almost the end of summer and Harry had recently had his thirteenth birthday. His friends had still been on vacation with their families so they had written that they would give him their gifts when they all went for school supplies. Harry had spent his birthday with his Dad by spending the day at the beach. Harry had never been to the beach before and had had a fantastic time. His father had taught him how to swim which Harry had always wanted to learn. Besides the beach, his Dad had taken him on various trips to get potions ingredients throughout the summer. It had been fun traveling to different parts of the world but Harry had noticed a change in his Dad. He seemed tenser and quite overprotective. He was already protective but even more so now. Harry could only guess that his Dad was acting this way because of the Chamber of Secrets incident.

Either way, Harry had been having a great summer. In between the traveling, they had been staying at their cottage. Harry loved their home. His mother had lived here before Voldemort had killed her and he felt a connection to her here. Of course, his Dad's stories about her helped as well. Harry could never tire of hearing about her.

Taking a glance to see if his Dad was outside, Harry grinned mischievously when he didn't see him and carefully stood on his broom. His Dad didn't approve of this move but it was fun! Harry spread out his arms for balance and then lifted one foot.

"Harry Severus James Snape!"

Harry gave a yelp as what felt like an invisible tug had him and his broom flying towards his father. He landed on his feet, his father's hands on his shoulders as he steadied him. The hands tightened slightly and Harry found himself looking into furious black eyes.

"Hey Dad, I didn't see you." Harry squeaked, aware that there would be no talking his way out of this.

"What have I told you about doing moves like that young man?" Severus glared at his son.

"Not to." Harry answered, biting his lip. "I know I'm not supposed to but it was brilliant right? I mean, flying while standing on one foot?"

"No it was most certainly not brilliant!" Severus snapped. He was worried enough about his son's safety without Harry pulling reckless stunts like this. He hadn't told Harry yet about Sirius Black being after him. He had wanted Harry to have a relaxing summer though he was sure his son wondered why he barely let him out of his sight. Harry had seen the Prophet and knew that Sirius Black was an escaped murderer from Azkaban but that was all. "You are aware of my rules Harry, whether you think I am watching you or not!"

"I'm sorry." Harry said softly. "I just thought it would be cool."

"It won't be _cool_ when I have to scrap your skull up from the ground." Severus glowered.

"But Dad, I have to practice! What if I decide to be a professional Quidditch player someday? I would have to do all sorts of dangerous stunts." Harry pointed out.

"No you wouldn't. Because I would be in the stands making sure you didn't do anything foolish!" Severus snapped.

Harry sucked in his breath at the thought. "Merlin, that would be embarrassing!"

Severus couldn't help but grin a little at the horrified look on Harry's face. He had a sudden vision of himself casting an Accio on his adult son to safety during a professional Quidditch match whenever Harry did a risky move. He quickly rearranged his face into a stern look. "And don't think I won't do it during Quidditch matches at school as well!"

Harry's eyes widened as he imagined the taunting he would receive for the rest of his school days. He nodded frantically. "Okay, okay. I understand Dad. No more foolish stunts. Please, just promise you won't do anything like that!"

"Sorry Harry. No promises." Severus grabbed his son's broom and turned and went into the cottage, his son following behind him. It wouldn't hurt for Harry to believe he would do exactly what he had threatened he would do. The truth was, Severus would do anything to protect his son whether it embarrassed Harry or not. Of course, he wouldn't intentionally humiliate his son either but Harry didn't need to know that. "You're done flying for the day, by the way."

Harry sighed but nodded and followed his Dad into their home. He saw Hedwig perched on the kitchen chair with a letter tied to her. She hooted to alert him and daintily held out her leg. "It's my book list!" Harry said as he read the letter from Hogwarts. He gently petted Hedwig on the back. "Thanks Hedwig!"

Severus didn't bother reading the letter. He already knew what books his son would need. He was just glad that he had managed to convince Harry not to take Divination. Harry had admitted that he had thought of taking it because he and Ron thought it would be easy. Severus had immediately lectured that his education was not to be wasted and that Care of Magical Creatures was already an easy course. He had informed his son that Divination was useless and that true seers were very rare. Honestly, the last thing Severus wanted was Harry around Professor Trelawney. She was known for predicting deaths every year and he had no doubt that she target Harry if she had him in her class. Harry had grudgingly decided to take Ancient Runes although he couldn't convince Ron to join him.

Obviously thinking along the same line as his father, Harry looked up from the book list with a frown. "Are you sure I'll like Ancient Runes?"

"Yes. It is challenging but very interesting. I enjoyed it when I was in school." Severus answered as he made tea and took out a box of biscuits.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. Maybe you don't remember it right." Harry teased, ducking when his Dad pretended to swat the back of his head.

"Becomes a teenager and is even cheekier." Severus grumbled.

Harry laughed as he sat down at the kitchen table and took a bite of his chocolate biscuit. "I can't believe summer is almost over. It's the first time I ever went anywhere for summer vacation!"

"You enjoyed yourself did you?" Severus asked with a satisfied look. He knew the Weasley's had won a trip to Egypt and the Grangers had gone to France so he had decided to that taking Harry with him when gathering potion ingredients would give him an opportunity to travel and see more of the world as well as keep him away from wherever Sirius Black may be. Severus was still frustrated that Black had not been caught yet. With Black out there somewhere after his son and Remus Lupin teaching at Hogwarts, Severus knew he was in for a very stressful year.

Not wanting Harry to know that Sirius Black was after him, he had kept Harry from Hogwarts as much as possible. He knew Lupin was already basically living there and had so far managed to avoid having Harry meet him. Today however, there was a staff meeting to discuss new security measures for the start of the year and he would be taking Harry with him. Hagrid had offered to miss the meeting and watch him as he wanted to surprise Harry with the knowledge that he was now the professor of Care of Magical Creatures on the first day of school. Severus couldn't help but feel reluctant to leave Harry with anyone but himself. He would have argued in the past that Hogwarts was the safest place but after the events of last year, he wasn't sure he could exactly claim that anymore. As it was, he was struggling not to insist that Harry stay in their quarters until Black was caught. Some people might think Severus was overreacting but he knew that if something happened to his son, he would not be able to bear it.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Arry!" Hagrid beamed when he saw Harry and Severus walk to his hut. "Professor Snape! How is summer treatin' ya?"

"Great!" Harry grinned. "I learned to swim!"

"That's wonderful Arry!" Hagrid tousled his hair affectionately. "Yer can tell me all 'bout it while yer Dad is at his meetin'."

Severus nodded to Hagrid. "Thank you again for watching him." He said after Harry had already gone into the hut to greet Fang. "He doesn't know the truth about Sirius Black yet."

"I won't say anthin'." Hagrid assured him. "An' I won't let him out of my sight! Though Hogwarts is safe as can be!"

"Hmm." Severus thought about the Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets and decided not to comment. "The meeting shouldn't be more than an hour. I'll meet you two here."

"Yer excited fer third year?" Hagrid asked after Severus had left.

"I can't wait! Ron told me that third years get to go to Hogsmeade on certain Saturdays!" Harry said excitedly. He had been to Hogsmeade before but getting to go with just his friends sounded really fun.

"Yer growing up so fast." Hagrid said, offering him a piece of homemade fudge. "I still remember yer as a baby."

Harry didn't answer and simply took a bite of fudge. He knew Hagrid had picked him up from Godric's Hollow and taken him to the Dursley's but he didn't want to think about them. He still occasionally had dreams that he was living back there and would wake up in a panic. He had decided not to tell his Dad about them as he didn't want him to worry or anything.

"Thank you for the book you sent me for my birthday." Harry said as he polished off the fudge. "It was…interesting." And it really was. Harry had been very interested when the book had tried to eat him. His Dad had contained it and shown him how to calm it by rubbing the spine. Of course, he had been laughing at Harry the whole time he had shown him the trick.

"Yer need it fer Care of Magical Creatures. I hear it's goin' ter be a very good class this year." Hagrid said mysteriously.

"I'm excited about it." Harry nodded, briefly wondering what Hagrid meant. "So what have you been doing this summer?"

"Been doing various jobs fer the Headmaster. Oh, I got a letter from Charlie Weasley about Norbert!" Hagrid happily began talking about his favorite dragon.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Minister Fudge has decided to have Dementors guard Hogwarts while Sirius Black is on the loose." Dumbledore informed his staff.

"Dementors? Those horrid creatures around the children?" Minerva asked in alarm.

"They will not be coming near the students." Dumbledore said firmly. "They will be instructed to stay off of school property. Believe me; I am not happy about it myself." He sighed. "If it will help protect the students and keep Sirius Black away then it will be worth it."

"Perhaps I can cover Dementors in my class so that students know they are not something to be trifled with." Remus offered.

Dumbledore nodded. "A fine idea Remus." He smiled warmly at his former student. "And may I once again formally welcome you back to Hogwarts."

Severus rolled his eyes as his colleagues clapped, ignoring Minerva's look of disapproval at him when he didn't clap as well. It was bad enough that the man who had betrayed his Lily was out there and after his son, now he also had to put up with the wolf as well. And not only that, he also had to make the wolf's blasted Wolfsbane Potion.

"Severus, has Harry been told about Sirius Black?" Dumbledore asked.

"He knows only what he has seen in the Prophet. He asked me a couple of questions regarding Azkaban and that was it." Severus answered. "I plan to tell him that Black is a follower of Voldemort and may be after him so that precautions on his safety will be taken."

"Will you be telling him that Sirius is his godfather?" Remus asked curiously.

Severus stiffened. "That blasted man is not my son's godfather! Before we knew we had to cast the memory charm, Lily had wanted to name the Longbottoms as godparents." He thought sadly of the fate that had been bestowed on them.

"But Sirius is named his godfather. Under the memory charm, James had papers drawn up." Remus pointed out.

Severus's dark eyes appeared to get even darker. "James Potter was not Harry's biological father nor was he married to Lily. Any papers he drew up are now in void. The only thing I allowed was the trust he left to Harry which Harry will receive after he graduates Hogwarts. I am only doing that because I believe James would truly want Harry to have it."

"He would have." Remus said with a nod.

"I never asked you Severus, who will Harry's godparents be now?" Dumbledore asked curiously as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth.

Severus paused. He had not given it much thought but he knew exactly who he would pick. "The Weasley's. If anything happened to me I trust they would love and care for Harry as they do their own children." Hmm, he would have to ask Molly and Arthur about it first but he was sure they wouldn't have any objections.

Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "A wise choice. Now before we adjourn I need one more volunteer to ride the train with the students on September first."

"I will. I need to go to my home for a few days and can catch a ride back here with the students." Remus spoke up.

Severus mentally huffed and briefly thought about having Harry skip the train ride although he knew his son would kick up a fuss about it.

"Thank you Remus. I'll let you all go now, I'm sure you want to finish preparing for your classes." Dumbledore smiled as he dismissed his staff. He gestured for Severus and Remus to stay. "I know you and Harry made potions for the infirmary again but I wondered how the Wolfsbane Potion is coming along?" He asked.

"It will be ready when Lupin needs it." Severus said curtly.

"Thank you Severus." Remus spoke up. He glanced at Dumbledore and then cleared his throat. "May I meet Harry?"

Dumbledore looked expectantly at Severus.

Knowing there was no good reason to put it off, Severus nodded. "He is with Hagrid. Come with me, I will introduce you."

"I must say, I am surprised you still care to meet Harry knowing he is not a Potter." Severus couldn't help remarking as they headed out of the castle. He was curious as to why Remus did want to meet Harry as Harry didn't even look like James anymore.

"I still remember holding him as a baby. I even babysat a couple of times." Remus said softly. "I was good friends with Lily as well."

"I know." Severus grudgingly admitted. Lily had always been fond of Remus in school. Hearing the sound of his son's laughter made Severus's face grow soft as he and Remus stopped and watched with amusement as Harry and Hagrid chased Fang who had papers in his mouth.

"Drop em' Fang, I need those!" Hagrid said pleadingly as he tried to grab his dog. Fang wagged his tail in response and sprinted away from Harry who almost had caught him.

"Fang! Sit!" Severus called in his strict Professor voice that made students quiver with fear.

Fang looked at him and immediately sat down, his ears flattened like he knew he was in trouble. Hagrid tugged the papers loose and made a face. "Ah, dog drool all over my lesson-I mean, papers."

Harry was still laughing and trying to catch his breath so he didn't notice the slight slip up that came out of Hagrid's mouth. He thought it was hilarious that Fang had stopped when his Dad had told him to. Even the dog knew better than to disobey his Dad!

"Harry, I would like to introduce you to someone." Severus motioned for his son to stand next to him. "This is Professor Lupin; he will be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher."

"It's nice to meet you." Harry said. The man looked a little familiar and Harry remembered seeing him right before school had let out for the summer.

"Hi Harry." Remus said kindly. "We've met before, actually."

"We have?" Harry asked curiously.

Remus cast a quick glance at Severus and then nodded. "I knew you as a baby. I was friends with your mother and James."

"You were?" Harry asked with interest.

"James was one of my best friends." Remus smiled sadly. "Lily was a good friend as well. I was over at their house a lot when you were a baby."

"When everyone was under the memory charm." Harry said with a glance at his Dad.

"Yes." Remus replied. "You look quite different now."

"I was wearing a glamour." Harry pointed out with a smile.

Remus chuckled. "Very true but I also meant that you are so grown up now!"

"Oh." Harry laughed.

"If you would like, perhaps sometime during the year I could share my memories of your Mum. And James as well, if you would like." Remus offered.

"I'd love that, thanks." Harry said happily. He love to hear anything about his Mum and enjoyed hearing about James too. Even though James Potter was not his father, he still died protecting Harry and his Mum.

"We should go." Severus put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"See you in a few days when school starts." Remus smiled and walked over to Hagrid where they began talking.

Since they were close to the gates, Severus led Harry out of the grounds of Hogwarts so that they could Apparate.

"Professor Lupin seems nice." Harry commented as his Dad pulled him close to help cushion the worst of Apparition. "He'll be better than Lockhart right?"

"Yes, I believe he will be." Severus said resignedly. He may not like the wolf but he was sure he would be a decent professor.

"Good. I don't want to have to worry about another Defense teacher." Harry chuckled.

As long as Lupin took his potion regularly, then that would not be a problem. Severus would be making sure that the former marauder did not skip a dose as that could put everyone in Hogwarts in danger.

As father and son apparated away, neither one noticed the stray black dog that had been watching them. The dog gave a deep growl and then turned and ran.

**TBC: Please review if you get the chance! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Harry woke up feeling excited. Today they were going to Diagon Alley to get his schoolbooks and they would also meet up with the Weasley's and Hermione. He couldn't wait to see his friends and catch up with them. It was the first time he would be able to share fun summer stories of his own. He quickly got dressed and bounded down the stairs for breakfast.

"Morning Dad!"

"Good morning Harry." Severus put a bowl down in front of his son.

Harry peered at it. "Porridge?" He had been hoping for waffles.

"Yes porridge. There is nothing wrong with starting the day with a more healthy meal especially since you will most likely be indulging in sweets later today." Severus already knew Harry would convince him to stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour before they came back home.

Harry took a bite and found that his Dad had made it with honey and cinnamon. "It's not bad." He said, taking another bite.

"So happy you approve." Severus drawled as he poured Harry a glass of milk and himself a cup of coffee. He was happy that Harry was excited but he needed to broach the subject of his safety before they left. He needed to tell Harry about Sirius Black but did not want to ruin his outing. "You remember what I said about today correct?"

"Yeah." Harry answered absently as he spread some butter on a piece of toast. He looked up and saw his Dad staring at him with a frown. Harry sighed. "Do not wander off. Stay in sight of an adult at all times." He recited. This time he was the one who frowned. "Why? Don't you trust me?"

Severus put down his cup of coffee. "Yes, I trust you. I just want to know you are safe and do not feel comfortable with you wandering around in Diagon Alley without adult supervision. I believe Molly and Arthur feel the same way about their children so do not give me that put upon look." He rolled his eyes. Even without the threat of Sirius Black he would not want Harry and his friends by themselves in a place as large and crowded as Diagon Alley.

"Is it because of the Chamber thing that you are being so protective?" Harry asked after a moment.

"That may be part of it." Severus answered smoothly. It was true after all. Almost losing his son when Harry's arm had been pierced with Basilisk venom had terrified him. If he could he would put a protective bubble over Harry and keep it there. Hmm, actually he could do that but he knew Harry would object to it. "Indulge your overprotective Father a little would you?"

"Okay." Harry grinned and finished his breakfast. "But come Hogsmeade weekend, I get to go off with my friends."

Severus made a non-committal noise and cleared the dishes once they were done eating. He hadn't decided what to do about the field trip to Hogsmeade. Truthfully he was hoping Black would be caught by then so that it wouldn't be an issue. "Go finish getting ready. We will leave in ten minutes."

Harry nodded eagerly and jumped up from the table to go brush his teeth. He also fed Hedwig and promised to bring her back some owl treats.

"Time to go Harry!"

Harry ran downstairs and met his Dad at the floo. "I'm ready." Stepping into the floo together, they disappeared to their destination.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus and Harry made their way to Flourish and Blotts where the Weasley's and Hermione were already waiting for them.

"Harry!" Hermione rushed to give her friend a hug and Ron pounded Harry on the back with a big grin on his freckled face.

"How are you guys?" Harry beamed as he looked at his friends.

"Great! Egypt was amazing. The best part was when the twins tried to lock Percy in a pyramid!" Ron snickered.

Harry laughed. "They did really?"

"Yeah but Mum stopped them and yelled at them." Ron shrugged. "Percy deserved it. He was made Head Boy at school and now thinks he is king of the universe."

Harry smirked. He could imagine Percy acting like that. He just hoped Percy hadn't reverted back to hating him like the previous year.

"Ah Harry, how wonderful to see." Percy said in his usual pompous sounding voice. "I trust your summer was satisfactory?"

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing at the older Weasley. "Yes Percy. How was your summer?"

"It was quite a delight. I-" Percy started.

"Harry my boy! How splendid to see you!"

"How are you old chap?"

Harry and Ron chuckled as the twins appeared, clearly mocking Percy. "Our summer was quite spiffy, if we do say so ourselves." Fred shook Harry's hand briskly.

Percy scowled. "Would you two just knock it off?"

"Percy, how corking to see you!" George seized Percy's hand. "Dear Harry, have you heard that Percy is now Head Boy?"

"Congratulations." Harry offered to Percy, who was glaring at his brothers.

"I take being Head Boy seriously and do not appreciate being mocked." Percy scolded the twins. He nodded to Harry and then walked away and they could hear him greeting Harry's Dad.

"He really is impossible." Fred rolled his eyes.

"I think our idea for his Head Boy badge needs to go into effect." George rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"What idea?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"You'll see." Fred and George grinned and hurried away.

"How was France Hermione?" Harry asked as they followed the adults into the bookstore.

"It was wonderful!" Hermione gushed. "We visited Dijon and it was so beautiful! I was able to pick up some interesting books there as well."

"How about you? Did you have fun with your Dad?" Ron asked as Hermione began eagerly going through the bookshelves.

"It was the best. He took me to the beach for my birthday and I finally learned to swim. I also went with him to gather potion ingredients in places like Italy, Ireland and Barcelona." Harry said proudly.

"Wow Harry that must have been fascinating!" Hermione exclaimed and her voice a little envious. "Did you help your Dad make potions again this summer?"

"Yes." Harry smiled as Hermione looked impressed. "We made potions for the infirmary and he was working on a more difficult potion this summer. That's mainly why we had to travel to so many different places as he needed some rare ingredients."

"Oooh for what potion?" Hermione asked her eyes bright with curiosity.

Harry shrugged as he pulled down his favorite book, Quidditch Through the Ages. "He didn't tell me. He was kind of mysterious about it. Actually he's been acting a little odd this summer." He thumbed through the familiar book. He had read it from the school library several times.

"What do you mean by odd?" Ron asked.

"He's been really protective. More than usual I mean. I thought it was because of the Chamber of Secrets but now I don't know. I'm wondering if something is wrong." Harry said worriedly.

"It probably is because of the Chamber Harry. You almost died." Hermione remarked as she grabbed another book off the shelf. "It would make sense that he wants to keep a closer eye on you."

"She's right mate. Professor Snape will probably relax once school starts again and he gets busy teaching and assigning detentions." Ron made a face when he saw all the books in Hermione's arms. "Blimey, how many classes are you planning to take?"

"The same as you do Ronald." Hermione huffed. "Well, actually I couldn't decide between the electives so I signed up for all of them." She admitted.

Harry and Ron's mouths dropped open. "All of the electives? How are you going to pull that off?" Harry asked curiously.

"You won't even have time to eat or sleep!" Ron added.

"Don't worry; I've worked it all out already. Harry, are you still going to take Ancient Runes instead of Divination?" Hermione asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"Yes. My Dad was really against me taking Divination." Harry said resignedly. He looked in alarm at the Ancient Runes textbook Hermione was holding. It was huge! "Ron, you could still change your mind."

"No thanks." Ron said cheerfully. "Divination is supposed to be a breeze. I'll stick with that class."

"Lucky." Harry mumbled. He saw his Dad at the check-out counter and went over to him. "That's a lot of books." He commented.

"It's your third year. You will have more work to do." Severus said smoothly as he paid, grinning a bit at Harry's expression. As the Weasley's and Hermione waited to pay for their books, Harry had gone back to the Quidditch Through the Ages book and was looking through it when he heard a familiar yet dreaded voice behind him.

"Dreaming of someday reading your name in there Snape?"

Harry sighed and put the book back on the shelf. "What do you want Malfoy?"

Draco smirked a bit and leaned against the bookshelf. "I'm simply getting my schoolbooks like you are. Of course, I don't need all the babysitters you do."

Harry gritted his teeth. He _should_ just walk away. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Draco shrugged. "You have such a large group with you. Aren't you allowed to get your books on your own? I am. I'm meeting my parents later. Of course, they see me as an adult unlike _your_ father." He said smugly.

"Your parents probably just can't stand to be around you like the rest of us." Harry snapped. He turned to leave as Draco scowled at the comment.

"Of course, if I was you I wouldn't care about my books. I would be focused on revenge."

Harry sighed again and turned back around. "Revenge for what?"

Draco's silver eyes widened with honest surprise. "You really don't know? My goodness, you're Dad really doesn't trust you does he?"

"You aren't making any sense Malfoy." Harry grumbled and walked off to find his friends. He was bothered by what Malfoy had said though he didn't want the blonde snob to know that. What was really going on?

"Please tell me I am seeing things and that Malfoy is not really here." Ron glared in the direction of the Slytherin.

"He's here being his usual charming self." Harry said. He decided to try and shrug off what Malfoy had said. "So where should we go next?"

"Magical Menagerie. I need to see if they have something I can give Scabbers, he hasn't been feeling well lately." Ron said as they walked back to the adults.

"Good idea. I've been thinking of getting an owl." Hermione said.

"Fine with me. I need to get some treats for Hedwig anyway." Harry looked up at his Dad. "Can we go to Magical Menagerie?"

"Of course." Severus said. He shrunk the bag holding Harry's school books and put it inside his pocket. "Let's go."

"Can't Ron, Hermione and I go by ourselves?" Harry asked in frustration. If Malfoy was allowed to go about Diagon Alley by himself, than Harry should be able to as well.

"No. We talked about this Harry." Severus said stiffly. He had hoped Harry wouldn't push this issue.

"Fine." Harry responded with a frown.

Severus sighed as he followed the group out of the bookstore.

"Is something wrong Severus?" Molly asked with concern as they followed their children.

"Harry. He is becoming frustrated with my not wanting him out of my sight. He wants to be able to go off and walk around Diagon Alley with Ron and Hermione." Severus answered. "I haven't told him everything about Sirius Black yet. I didn't want him worrying over summer vacation."

"I don't blame you Severus. Harry deserves to have a carefree summer." Molly agreed.

"I will be telling him before school starts up. I want him to be on his guard as well as understand why I have been keeping such a close eye on him." Severus said. They stopped at the entrance of the store and let the kids go in by themselves. Severus didn't need to be by Harry's side as long as he had him in plain sight.

"He'll understand. I've been nervous myself, knowing that Sirius Black was able to escape Azkaban." Molly remarked. "I plan to lecture all my children on obeying the rules at Hogwarts, though with the twins I don't hold out much hope." She added ruefully.

"Percy will keep an eye on them." Arthur spoke up. "He's gotten closer with the family since the Chamber incident." He chuckled. "The twins still tease him and he acts mad, but I've seen a difference between them as well."

Severus looked to where Harry was laughing with his friends. He wanted his son happy and to be as carefree as possible. But he also wanted his son safe. And if that meant being strict and overprotective and Harry being upset with him, then so be it.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Give your rat some of this tonic every morning for a week. If he is ill, it should cure him." The man behind the counter said.

Ron eagerly paid for the tonic and patted Scabbers head, who was sitting on his shoulder. "See Scabbers? You're going to be fine."

The clerk looked at Scabbers warily. "Rats don't usually live twelve years. Rare little animal you have there."

"Uh, Hermione. I thought you were getting an owl." Harry looked at the armful of orange fur in her arms as she walked up to them.

"I was going to but then I saw Crookshanks here. Isn't he cute? Apparently he has been here forever; no one wanted to buy him." Hermione looked happily at the flat faced large cat in her arms who purred contentedly.

"You can't get a cat." Ron protested. "He'll make Scabbers life miserable!"

"Oh Ronald. He will not." Hermione rolled her eyes as they left the shop after Harry bought some owl treats.

"I'm hungry. Can we go to Florean Fortescue's?" Harry looked at his Dad pleadingly.

"Yeah, ice cream would be great!" Ron said enthusiastically, forgetting his irritation with Hermione's choice of familiar with the prospect of food.

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "That is not a very healthy lunch." She said yet she relented when all her kids began begging.

"It's a good way to celebrate the end of summer." Ron wheedled.

"Mourn the end of summer-" George started.

"Is more like it!" Fred finished.

After they had ordered at the popular ice cream parlour, Severus turned to his son. "After this we need to make a stop in muggle London. I believe you still a few more items of clothes." His son still enjoyed wearing muggle clothing. Harry had grown over the summer though he was still smaller than most of the kids his age. The Dursley's had starved him and it had affected his growth though now that he was eating regularly and getting enough rest he was now a healthy thirteen year old.

"Okay." Harry said as he took a spoonful of his toffee ice cream sundae.

"Harry we have your birthday gifts!" Hermione pulled out a brightly wrapped present and handed it to Harry.

"Oh yeah mate, here you go." Ron tossed his present across the table to Harry which caused his mother to shake her head.

"Honestly Ron, you could have just handed it to him like a civilized person." Mrs. Weasley said exasperatedly.

"Sorry Mum."

Harry unwrapped Hermione's present first. "Oh, thanks Hermione." It was a homework planner.

Hermione beamed, not noticing Harry's rather unenthusiastic response. "Isn't it great? I got one for myself as well. Not only will it help you keep track of your assignments but it will also remind you not to put off your schoolwork. Look, I already filled it out with our summer assignments."

Hermione looked so proud of herself that Harry didn't have the heart to let her know what he really thought of the gift. "Thanks Hermione. This will, um, come in handy." He opened the planner.

"_If you've dotted the i's and crossed the t's then you may do whatever you please!_"

"See? You must have finished your summer homework." Hermione smiled.

"Yeah I have." Harry smiled back and wondered what kind of accident his planner could have.

"Now this is a gift I very much approve of." Severus spoke up. He looked at his son in amusement.

Ron began cracking up. "Wow Harry. I'm so jealous!"

Harry threw Ron a baleful glare.

"Really? Guess what? I got you one too Ron!" Grinning, Hermione handed him his own planner.

"Oh." Ron took it slowly. "Um, thanks."

"How very thoughtful of you Hermione." Mrs. Weasley smiled at the young girl. "This is something I know my Ron can use."

The twins were snickering behind their ice cream sundaes. "Hey Ron, open yours!"

Ron timidly opened his planner. "_Don't leave it till later, you big second-rater!_"

The twins, Harry and Ginny burst into laughter. Arthur and Severus looked like they were trying not to laugh and Molly and Percy were looking at Ron disapprovingly.

"Hmm it looks like you still have some homework to do." Hermione said. She ignored the glare Ron was giving her.

"I hope it is not my assignment." Severus stared at Ron whose face was turning red with embarrassment. He gave a smirk and then cast a tempus. "Are you done eating Harry? We should go."

"I want to go to muggle London." Ron whined,

"You have homework to do young man." Mrs. Weasley frowned at her son.

Ron sighed and then perked up. "Wait! Harry didn't open my gift yet!"

Harry opened Ron's gift and looked curiously at the small piece of glass that looked like a spinning top.

"I picked it up in Egypt. It's a Sneakoscope." Ron informed Harry. "It lights up and whistles if someone is doing something untrustworthy."

"Cool mate. Thanks!" Harry grinned at his friend.

"It's rubbish! It doesn't work." Percy scoffed.

"Yes it does!" Ron protested. Suddenly the Sneakoscope began spinning and whistling in Harry's hand.

"See? No one is doing anything untrustworthy." Percy looked triumphant.

Harry looked at the item in his hand in confusion but then noticed Fred and George had somehow gotten a hold of Percy's Head Boy badge and had changed it to read Big Head Boy. He shared an amused look with them and looked happily at his gift. "I think it will work great Ron. Thanks!"

Severus and Harry said goodbye to everyone and then left, ready to finish their outing and return home to enjoy the last few days of vacation.

**TBC**: Review if you get a chance! I appreciate those who have already! =)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

After saying goodbye to everyone Harry left with his Dad to go to the Leaky Cauldron so they could access muggle London. As his Dad led him to a large clothing shop Harry noticed a bookstore next door and wanted to check in there for some comic books. He knew Ron had some wizarding ones and thought he would get a kick out of some of the muggle ones. However, his Dad seemed to want to keep their time in the muggle world short. He had transfigured his clothes to black jeans and a dark gray sweater.

Once in the store Severus began holding up shirts to see if they would fit his son.

"Dad!" Harry hissed in embarrassment. He didn't need his Dad picking out his clothes, he was thirteen for Merlin's sake!

Severus held his hands up in surrender. "I apologize. Go ahead, choose what you want." He eyed Harry in amusement.

Harry spent fifteen minutes choosing several pairs of shirts and jeans. He was bored and wanted to check out but his Dad had decided that he needed new shoes. Harry sighed and stayed looking through the coats while his Dad was busy talking to one of the store clerks in the shoe department. Biting his lip, Harry made the rash decision to go next door to the bookstore. It would take him only a minute to see if they had the comic books he was looking for. His Dad wouldn't even know he was gone. Harry smiled when his Dad looked his way and made like he was still looking through the coats. Once his Dad had looked back to the store clerk Harry made his escape. He hurried next door and was about to enter when he caught sight of something that made him freeze in his steps. The Dursley's!

Out of curiosity he followed them as they rounded the corner. He was close enough to hear them talking.

"I still think we should move Vernon." Aunt Petunia was saying.

"Mummy, I want to get some candy!" Dudley complained.

"Duddykins, we just had lunch." Aunt Petunia said.

Dudley stamped his foot. "I want candy!"

"Let's get him some. I'm still hungry too." Vernon said in an annoyed voice.

"You're always hungry." Petunia sighed.

"Candy!" Dudley practically yelled.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned to leave. They certainly hadn't changed.

"Mum, it's the freak!"

Harry spun back around and glared at his oversized cousin.

"You! What are you doing here?" Petunia sneered at her nephew.

"Shopping. Obviously."

Vernon's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare get cheeky with us boy! Because of you, I'm always hungry, Petunia wants to move because our neighbors now think we are freaks and Dudley has nightmares!"

"How is that my fault?" Harry demanded.

"Your freaky father did this to us!" Petunia snapped. "Tell him to undo it. It's the least you can do after we put a roof over your head!"

"You put a cupboard over my head!" Harry snapped back.

Petunia looked at him in disgust. "You are just as horrible as your mother!"

"Shut up about my Mum!" Harry was furious that once again she was putting down his mother.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Petunia glared hatefully at Harry.

"He always was an ungrateful brat." Vernon stepped closer and looked menacingly at his nephew.

Harry stepped back a step, feeling the familiar fear he used to get anytime his Uncle looked at him that way. It usually was followed by yelling, threats, and being shoved into his cupboard.

"As I said, he is just like his mother was before she got herself blown up." She stared at Harry. "For no good reason." Petunia added nastily.

Harry felt anger welling up inside of him as well as guilt that his mother and James had died for him. The feeling grew and before he knew it his Aunt was starting to expand.

"What in the world?" Petunia looked down at her hands which were swelling up, as well as the rest of her body. She was beginning to look like a self-inflating balloon.

Harry watched in shock and fascination as his Aunt began to lift off of the ground. She began to scream.

"What did you do? Fix her!" Vernon roared, grabbing Harry roughly by the arm. He yelped when a sharp pain hit his shoulder and caused him to drop Harry's arm.

"Touch my son again and it will be the last thing you ever do!" Severus said dangerously as he got in front of his son.

"Look what he did to my wife!" Vernon complained, pointing to where Petunia was floating in the sky.

Severus looked up and smirked. If only she could be allowed to stay that way. "Personally, I think it is an improvement."

Harry tugged on his Dad's arm. "Dad, I didn't mean to do it! I don't even know how I did it in the first place!"

Severus patted Harry on his shoulder. "Relax. It will be okay." He said calmly. He saw a ministry official pop into the alley they were standing in and knew the situation would be taken care of. He turned back to Vernon Dursley. "I see the lesson I left you and your family has had no effect. Of course, I'm not surprised in the least."

"You undo your magic on us!" Vernon hissed.

Severus shook his head in disgust. "I told you the effects of the potions would fade once you felt true remorse. Sadly, you still have not. You are still among the foulest muggles I have ever come in contact with." He quickly herded Harry out of the alleyway as the ministry official began to set Petunia to rights.

Once they were back in Diagon Alley Severus crossed his arms across his chest and looked sternly at his son. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

Harry hung his head. "I'm sorry but I honestly don't know how I did that to her."

"What? No Harry, I don't care about your accidental magic right now." Severus shook his head. "You left the shop and I had no idea where you were!"

Harry shifted from foot to foot. "I'm sorry. I had planned to go to the bookstore real quick. I thought I would be back before you knew I was gone."

"What was the rule for today Harry?" Severus asked impatiently. He had almost had a heart attack when he noticed his son was missing. All he could think was that Sirius Black had followed them. Thankfully unbeknownst to Harry, he had placed a tracking spell on him for the day and therefore was able to locate him quickly.

"Not to wander off." Harry answered softly. He felt awful. His Dad was mad at him and rightly so, his relatives had once again made him feel horrible and he had done magic when he wasn't supposed to. "I'm really sorry Dad."

"You should be." Severus said shortly. He took a deep breath when he saw how pale and upset Harry looked. Harry had done wrong but he had also had to face his horrid relatives which Severus had hoped would never happen. He could just imagine the vile things they had said to his son. "Let's go home and we will talk more."

Harry nodded miserably and followed his father, wondering if his Dad would ever be able to forgive him.

**HPHPHPHP**

Once they were back at their cottage, Severus sat in his armchair and pulled Harry to stand right in front of him. "All right, now tell why you disobeyed my instructions."

Harry wanted to look away but his Dad was holding his chin gently yet firmly so that Harry had no choice but to look in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I did not ask you if you were sorry." Severus said in a hard voice.

"I just wanted to go the bookstore. I don't understand why you won't let me go anywhere by myself. I'm thirteen!" Harry said despondently.

Severus sighed and let go of Harry's chin. He leaned back in his chair and regarded his son thoughtfully. Perhaps he should have told him about the threat of Sirius Black sooner. "There is something going on that I have not told you. It is the reason I have kept a closer eye on you this summer and why I am adamant that you not go off on your own." He began slowly. "I was going to tell you before school started but I wanted you to have a fun and carefree summer which is why I have not told you yet."

"What's going on?" Harry asked curiously.

"You have read about Sirius Black in the Prophet correct?" Severus continued when Harry nodded. "He was a follower of Voldemort, much to everyone's surprise. He was friends with James Potter and was the one who betrayed their location to Voldemort. After the curse backfired, Black killed thirteen people including another friend of James, Peter Pettigrew." Severus looked at his son seriously. "There is reason to believe he is after you."

Harry paled slightly. "Me? Why in the world would he be after me?"

"He would blame you for what happened to his Master. He wants revenge." Severus answered. "That is why I am being so protective of you. That is why I don't want you wandering off on your own. As I said, I probably should have told you sooner but I really wanted you to have a relaxing summer. I wanted to put off worrying you for as long as possible."

"Oh." Harry was silent for a moment. Now he understood why his Dad had been acting like he had. "Wait, Sirius Black was friends with James?"

"They were like brothers supposedly." Severus said. "The betrayal was a surprise to everyone." Despite the loathing he felt for Sirius Black for how he had treated him in school, even he had been surprised that Black had betrayed James and Lily.

Harry couldn't imagine how James must have felt. He would be devastated if Ron or Hermione ever betrayed him like that. Not that they would, Harry trusted them completely. "So what's going to happen?"

"The ministry is sending the guards that are at Azkaban to guard Hogwarts until Black is caught. As for you, it will be much like last year. I do not want you walking the castle alone and you are absolutely not allowed to use your cloak to wander about the castle. If you do, I will take your cloak away again." Severus warned. He had given the cloak back to Harry at the beginning of summer after confiscating it when he found Harry about to go into the forbidden forest last year. "You are also not allowed out of the castle with my express permission except for Quidditch and your Care of Magical Creatures class. If you break any of these rules or if the situation becomes more serious, I will move you into our quarters until Black is caught."

Harry threw up his hands. "It's like I'm being punished or something."

"No. I want to keep you safe. Sirius Black is not a game Harry. He will hurt you, do you understand?" Severus leaned forward. "I will not survive if something happens to you." He said in a low voice. "If having you follow these restrictions makes you hate me, then I'll have to live with that."

"I could never hate you." Harry frowned. He sighed. "It's just annoying that once again I have to look over my shoulder."

"I know. I know it is not fair but this is the way it's going to be." Severus looked at his son sternly. "Sneaking off will not be tolerated. What you did today was sheer disobedience and I am very disappointed in you."

Harry flushed. He hated disappointing his Dad. Why did he sneak off like that? "I shouldn't have done it. I'm really sorry. I was angry and confused as to why you had to keep me in your sight all the time." Harry shrugged. "I don't know why I did it. I saw Malfoy at the bookstore and he said he was on his own and insinuated that you didn't trust me."

"Ah, teenage rebellion. I remember it well." Instead of looking angry, Severus's dark eyes were lit in amusement. "First of all, I highly doubt that Mr. Malfoy was by himself in Diagon Alley. Despite whatever he told you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy do not let him go off on his own. They are actually quite protective of their son. And second of all, I do trust you. But what you need to understand is that while you are thirteen years old, you are still a child. It is my job to protect you but to do that I need you to work with me. No more wandering off, do you hear me?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I hear you."

Severus nodded. "By the way, you're grounded for the rest of summer. Lucky for you there is only a few days left. No flying and perhaps some lines would be a good idea." He said thoughtfully.

Harry made a face. He hated writing lines. "Am I in trouble for what I did to Aunt Petunia too?"

Severus looked surprised. "No, of course not. That was accidental magic Harry. A ministry official was there to set her back and if any muggles saw her he will erase it from their memories. You are not in trouble for that."

Harry relaxed. "Oh, okay good."

Severus looked at his son in concern. "What happened between you and them?"

"I followed them because I was so surprised to see them. I guess I wondered if they had changed but then Dudley saw me and once again I was called a freak. Then they blamed for some bad stuff going on in their lives. Actually, they said you did it." Harry looked at his Dad curiously.

Severus nodded. "I did. I gave them potions that will give them a taste of how you felt in their house. It will wear off when they feel true remorse at how they treated you. What else did they say?" He asked.

"Aunt Petunia said horrible stuff about Mum. She said…" Harry's voice trailed off.

"What did she say Harry?"

Harry blinked back the tears he felt starting in frustration. Wanting to cry at thirteen, honestly. "Aunt Petunia said Mum got herself blown up for nothing." Harry whispered.

Severus pulled Harry towards him and wrapped in a tight hug. "No Harry. Your Mother died protecting you, just as I would have. She did not die for nothing, she died for love. For the love of her child."

Harry buried his face in his Dad's shoulder and despite being thirteen; just let himself be held and comforted. Emotionally and physically exhausted, Harry fell asleep in his Dad's arms.

Severus carefully laid his son on the couch and summoned a blanket to cover him with. He was furious at himself and at the Dursley's. If he had told Harry about Sirius Black sooner, then Harry wouldn't have wandered off and run into the Dursley's. Oh, how Severus was tempted to make another visit to those horrible muggles. He absolutely despised them and hated that Harry had lived with them for so long. He didn't regret using those potions on them and it would appear they would suffer the effects for quite awhile. How _dare_ Petunia spew that filth to his son? How she and Lily could possibly be related escaped him. He glanced at Harry who was still sleeping. He wanted his child to have a normal, happy childhood and with all of these threats that kept coming it was impossible for him to.

In Severus's mind there was only one thing to do. They needed to find Voldemort while he was still weak. The only way for his son to have a happy and normal childhood was to eliminate the threat once and for all. One thing he had not told Harry was that Lucius Malfoy had contacted him. He wanted to meet to discuss what could be done with stopping Voldemort's return. Despite his attitude and even his act with the diary of Tom Riddle, the last thing that Lucius wanted was to have to grovel at Voldemort's feet once again. Lucius would be ideal as a spy but Severus would first test him with Legilimency and Veritaserum. It was something he planned to discuss with Dumbledore once school started again. He knew the Headmaster would have his doubts but even though Lucius was the vilest of wizards, he hated having to bow to anyone. Being a Death Eater a not been all he had hoped it would be and Severus was sure he would do whatever it took to not be one again.

**TBC: ** **Pretty please review! =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed and are following my story! I truly appreciate it! =)**

As he had done last year, Severus let Harry spend the last night of summer with the Weasley's so he could prepare his classroom. He trusted the Weasley's to watch out for Harry and had emphasized to his son that he was to obey all the rules and that taking any flying cars to school was out of the question. Although he was still apprehensive at letting Harry out of his sight, he couldn't imagine what trouble he could get into on the Hogwarts Express. Well, provided that Harry stayed away from any flying Ford Anglia's.

There was a knock on his classroom door and Severus looked up from his desk. "Good morning Headmaster."

"Good morning Severus." Dumbledore stepped into the room with a bright smile on his face. "Ah, the first day of school where we get to sort new students and welcome back older students."

"Yes, it is my favorite day of the year." Severus deadpanned as he moved to his cupboard that held the ingredients the students used. He scanned the shelves, mentally counting to make sure he had enough of everything.

"Come now Severus, now that you have a child it must be more exciting at least." Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"I am proud of my son and look forward to seeing him start his third year. I only wish he didn't have a murderer after him." Severus sighed. "I want to give him as normal of a childhood as possible but how can I when I have to place all these restrictions and rules on him because of the threats that keep coming his way?"

Dumbledore sighed as well. "I know it is not fair to poor Harry. Or to you. But you are a wonderful father and will get your son through this."

"Albus, we have to eliminate the main threat." Severus looked at his mentor seriously. "We should try and find Voldemort now, while he is still weak."

"Severus, he could be anywhere. And until he is fully restored, I do not believe he would be able to be killed." Dumbledore said slowly.

"He could be contained couldn't he? Imprisoned somehow while he does not have an actual form yet?" Severus pressed.

"Yes, I believe he could be." Dumbledore said after a moment. "It would be more ideal than the alternative."

"You mean more ideal than actually killing him?" Severus asked with a frown, wondering what Dumbledore meant.

"Yes." Was all Dumbledore responded to that question. "If we could find and imprison him now then I believe we could all relax and young Harry could go from being the boy-who-lived to simply a regular teenager."

Severus sniffed at the moniker his son was known throughout the wizarding world by. "Lucius wants to meet with me. I have a feeling he is getting worried that Voldemort returning is a real possibility. I imagine the events with the Chamber have made him nervous."

"Then why did he plant the diary in Miss. Weasley's cauldron?" Dumbledore asked thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure. I do have a hard time believing he truly wants Voldemort to return. He may have simply wanted to cause trouble. I suppose I will find out." Severus answered.

"Be careful. If Lucius really wants to work against Voldemort he could be a useful ally but we would need to be absolutely sure of his intentions." He smiled and made to leave. "I'll see you at the sorting feast. I trust Harry's arrival to school will be less dramatic than last year?" His eyes had their familiar twinkle in them.

Severus snorted. "That is the one thing I am not worried about. I trust Harry will have a very uneventful train ride."

Little did he know what was to happen on the Hogwarts Express.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry was pulling his trunk behind him as he followed his friends to the Hogwarts Express train. Before boarding, he caught a glimpse of Malfoy being fussed over by who Harry assumed was his mother and his father stood tall and imposing by their side.

Harry smirked in the Malfoy's direction when the teenage Slytherin made eye contact and threw him a glare as he pulled away from his mother.

"So much for being oh so independent." Harry gloated as he and his friends found a compartment that held a sleeping man who Harry easily recognized.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked as she sat across from Professor Lupin, who was still asleep.

Ron frowned. "Wait, who is that?" He whispered loudly.

Before Harry could answer Hermione spoke up. "Professor Lupin." She said.

Harry looked at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"How does she know everything?" Ron shook his head in wonder.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "His name is on his suitcase. And Harry told us about him too, remember?"

"Right." Ron gave an unsure look at the Professor and then shrugged.

"I have to tell you guys something." Harry said in a hushed voice, leaning forward in his seat.

"What is it?" Hermione asked as she set Crookshanks down next to her. She ignored the look Ron gave her as he made sure Scabbers was safely out of sight.

"Have you guys read about Sirius Black?" Harry asked.

"The prisoner who escaped Azkaban? Yeah, he's been all over the news. Dad said the ministry is going crazy trying to find him." Ron replied.

Harry took a deep breath. "Well, apparently he is after me."

"What?" Hermione gasped.

"He was a follower of Voldemort." Harry told them. He didn't respond to Ron's wince at the name. "He-he was friends with James Potter and is the one who betrayed James and my Mum's location to Voldemort."

"Stop saying the name." Ron winced again.

"Oh Harry. That's awful." Hermione said in a horrified whisper.

"Why is he after you though? What does he want?" Ron wondered out loud.

Harry tried to look unconcerned. "To kill me, I guess. My Dad thinks he would want revenge for the downfall of Vold-"

"You-Know-Who!" Ron finished hastily.

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply nodded instead.

"Harry, you're going to have to be really careful at school." Hermione worried, wringing her hands together. "In fact, except for classes and meals you should stay in the Tower."

"You sound like my Dad." Harry said ruefully. "Except for Quidditch and Care of Magical Creatures I'm not allowed to leave the castle without his permission."

"What about Hogsmeade?" Ron asked with wide eyes. "You have to be able to go on the trips!"

Harry bit his lip. "He didn't say I couldn't." But he didn't exactly say I could either, Harry worried to himself.

Hermione nodded. "Sounds good. No wandering around, no schemes, no cloak…" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm, maybe you should turn in your cloak just in case it becomes too tempting."

"Honestly Hermione, I'm not three years old or anything." Harry huffed. "I know this is a serious threat, I'll be careful. I don't want to upset my Dad again anyway; I already did that when I wandered off in muggle London."

"Harry Severus!" Hermione scolded. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't' know about Sirius Black yet and I didn't understand why my Dad was being so protective. Believe me, I paid for it." Harry made a face. "I ran into the Dursley's."

"Mate, sometimes I think you have the worst luck in the world." Ron said solemnly.

"That must have been horrible, running into them." Hermione said sympathetically. "What happened?"

"My Aunt said some horrible stuff regarding my Mum and I got angry and the next thing I knew…she blew up like a balloon and floated off into the sky."

Ron burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his hand as to not wake up the sleeping Professor.

"You didn't get into trouble did you?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. "Did a lot of muggles see you?"

"No one was around when it happened but I don't know how many may have seen her flying in the sky." Harry said with a shrug.

"Oh Merlin, you were the one my Dad was talking about!" Ron said suddenly, still chuckling. "I overheard him talking to Mum about the ministry having to cover up a teenager's accidental magic. It was you!"

"Yeah." Harry smiled ruefully. "I didn't mean to." Not that I'm really that sorry about it, he thought as he remembered his inflated Aunt shrieking in the sky.

"At least you didn't get into trouble." Hermione said in a relieved voice. "But Sirius Black being after you…Ron and I will keep an eye out for you." She said in a determined voice. She glanced at Ron who was still laughing. "Well, I will."

Ron stopped chuckling. "Hey, I will too!" Ron protested.

Harry grinned and leaned back in his seat. He really did have the best friends.

The three Gryffindors spent the next hour talking, joking, and eating treats from the trolley. Suddenly the train slowed to a stop.

"Wow, we're there already?" Ron asked as he brushed empty candy wrappers off of himself.

"We can't be there yet." Hermione said, perplexed. She peered out of her window. "I can't see anything."

Careful not to disturb Professor Lupin who was still napping, Harry looked out the window. It was dark and suddenly the window began to frost over.

Ron shivered. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Hermione whispered. "But I think something is out there."

Suddenly they were enclosed in darkness as the lights of the train went out. "Why is it so cold?" Harry's teeth began chattering.

"Blimey, it's freezing!" Ron exclaimed. "Hermione, can you see anything out there?" There was a rustling noise as Ron tried to peer out the window.

"Ouch Ronald! That was my foot!"

"Sorry."

The cold started to become unbearable and the door to their compartment slowly opened. A tall shadowy figure dressed in a long black ripped robe entered.

Harry felt chilled to the bone and a sense of hopelessness and grief came over him.

"Expecto Patronum!"

He heard a woman scream and everything began to fade as he succumbed to the darkness that enveloped him.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Harry! Come on, wake up!"

Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw the concerned faces of Professor Lupin, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins surrounding him.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked in concern.

"Here, sit up." Professor Lupin helped Harry into a sitting position. He pulled out a foil wrapped bar and began to unwrap it. He broke the chocolate bar into several pieces and handed them out. "This will make all of you feel better."

Harry took a bite and instantly felt a rush of warmth flow through him. "What was that?" He asked shakily.

"A Dementor." Professor Lupin said, his eyes hard. "All of you stay here and finish the chocolate; I am going to talk to the other professors and conductor."

"A Dementor." Ron breathed. "Those are the guards at Azkaban."

"So that's what will be guarding Hogwarts this year." Harry whispered. He never wanted to be near one of those things again.

Hermione looked alarmed. "They are?"

"My Dad said the guards at Azkaban will be guarding the school until Sirius Black is caught." Harry answered as he finished off his chocolate. He felt better.

"That was awful." Ginny shivered.

Even the twins looked serious after facing the Dementor. "Those things are definitely not to be messed with." George said shaking his head.

"Did anyone else pass out?" Harry asked in embarrassment.

"No. But I felt as though I would never be cheerful again." Ron said with a shudder.

Harry frowned. He was the only who fainted? Why? "Who screamed?" He asked.

Hermione exchanged a look with Ron. "No one screamed Harry." She said slowly.

Harry's frowned deepened. "But I heard someone." He said in a perplexed voice.

Before anyone could answer the compartment door opened again. Draco walked in with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. "Is it true?" Draco asked somewhat gleefully. "You _fainted _Potter?"

Fred and George stood up and glared at Draco. "Well, at least he didn't cry like you did." Fred said with a smirk, exchanging a look with George.

A slow smile spread over George's face. "Cried for his Mummy is the way I heard it."

"I did not!" Draco gasped.

Fred shrugged. "It's the rumor going around."

George grinned. "Or it will be. Very soon."

Draco scowled. "No one will believe you. My friends will verify that I did not do that."

Harry, who had been trying not to laugh, spoke up. "They'll just assume your friends are lying. I can just imagine the jokes already."

"Like he's a momma's boy? Or that he can't sleep without his baby blanket?" Ginny suggested.

Ron and Harry burst into laughter.

"Get out of here Malfoy. We've already had to deal with one horrible creature for today." Hermione stared at the Slytherin.

Draco's cheeks burned. "Don't you talk to me you mud-" He stopped suddenly and looked away. "Let's go." He muttered to Blaise and Pansy.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "I'm surprised he didn't finish his insult."

"He probably knew we would hex him into next week if he did." Ron huffed.

Professor Lupin came back looking tired. "The train will start up again soon. There should be no more problems." He informed them.

"We'll get back to our compartment." Fred said as he and George and Ginny left with a wave.

"Harry I've sent word ahead so that the Headmaster knows what happened. Which means-"

"My Dad is going to know." Harry interrupted Professor Lupin with a groan. His Dad was going to go completely mental when he heard what happened. He was so worried about him already.

"So who wants to take bets on how flipped out Professor Snape is going to be?" Ron asked with a laugh.

Harry threw Ron a dirty look. It wasn't funny. His Dad was already crazed with worry and this was just going to make matters worse. The way things are going, his Dad is going to want him under lock and key until Black is caught.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Unacceptable!" Severus hissed as he paced the Headmasters office. The train was due soon and he intended to be there when it arrived. He needed to see that Harry was alright with his own eyes. Dementors emptied you of every happy moment, leaving you with only the worst experiences of your life. Harry had too many of those as it was, which would explain why he had fainted.

"At least Remus sent word ahead so that we would be aware of the situation." Dumbledore said.

"Yes, it's nice to know the wolf has some sense." Severus muttered.

"Really Severus." Minerva said in disapproval. She sighed. "Would you like me to have Harry checked out by Poppy when he arrives?"

"No." Severus answered shortly. "I will be taking him to the infirmary myself. I'm going to meet the train. In fact, I should be going now."

"Severus, according to Remus's letter Harry is fine." Minerva said sympathetically. She knew the strain and worry her colleague was under.

"I need to see him." Severus said quietly. "The Dementors would affect him more than most students."

"I will be contacting Cornelius Fudge about his lack of control on the Dementors." Dumbledore said seriously. "I do not want this happening again."

Severus nodded in agreement and then took his leave. The train was due soon and he wanted to see his son as soon as possible. He remembered the day when he had held Harry in his arms as a newborn and how shocked he had been that he could love someone so much so quickly. That love still held true. He loved his son more than his own life and all he wanted to do was ensure his safety and happiness. Oh Lily, Severus thought as he made his way out of the castle. I wish you were here.

As he walked past the Forbidden Forest he didn't even notice the black dog snarling after him. The dog waited for a moment and then slowly began to follow the Potions' Master.

**TBC: Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed! =)**

Severus waited as the Hogwarts train came to a stop. As students filed out some of them gave him startled looks as it was not custom for him to be there when the students arrived. He gave a smirk as the new first years gaped at him. He knew he must look intimidating as he had on his robes, arms crossed across his chest and was standing tall. His black eyes scanned the growing crowd as looked for his son. When he saw Harry emerge from the train, relief went through him. His son looked a little pale but otherwise fine. Severus stepped forward and got Harry's attention before Harry got into the carriage.

Harry threw his Dad a surprised look and headed over to him. "Dad? Is something wrong?"

Severus resisted the urge to hug his child as he knew that would embarrass him. "I wanted to check on you. I heard about what happened. Are you all right?" He asked with concern.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay now. It was horrible though. I felt so cold and hopeless." He felt his face turn red. "I passed out." He mumbled.

Severus put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed gently. "The Dementor's are nasty creatures. They drain you of everything happy and light and fill you with the worst nightmares you have lived through. That is why they affected you so much; you have lived through many horrible things."

"It's humiliating. No one else fainted. And no one else heard that woman scream." Harry sighed.

Severus stiffened slightly. A woman's scream? No, it couldn't be. The idea that Harry could hear Lily's last moments was too terrible of an idea to contemplate. It was probably something else.

Harry was looking at the carriages curiously. "Where are the horses?" He asked.

Severus looked at the winged horses that carried the carriages to the school. "There are horses there. They are called Thestral's. They are very rare creatures and can only be seen by those who have witnessed and fully accepted the concept of death."

"Wow really?" Harry watched one of the carriages begin moving, being led by something he couldn't see. He frowned in thought. "Why can't I see them? I mean, since I was there with Mum and James and Quirrell?"

"You were only a baby when James and Lily died. Although you were there, you were too young to understand what was going on. You were also found in your crib, so you most likely did not see your mother actually die." Severus said softly.

"Oh." Harry said with his eyes downcast.

"As for Quirrell, you had been knocked out before he actually died." Severus continued, wanting to get off the subject. "You've definitely had some near misses seeing death." He murmured almost to himself.

Harry looked at him ruefully. "I hope I never see those horses."

Severus gave him a sad smile. "I hope that for you too."

"Hey Harry, are you coming?" Ron called from a carriage.

"Go ahead and ride with your friends. When you get to the castle, meet me in the infirmary." Severus told his son.

"Why?"

"I want Madame Pomfrey to check you over." Severus said smoothly.

"What for? I'm fine!" Harry protested.

"For my peace of mind and it will only take a minute." Severus replied, raising an eyebrow.

"But that's ridiculous! I'm fine and if I go to the infirmary, everyone's going to think I'm weak or something." Harry continued as he crossed his arms.

"This is not up for discussion. You will head straight to the infirmary when you get to the castle." Severus said firmly. "No one will know as they will be busy going to their dorms and getting ready for the sorting feast. Now your carriage is about to leave so you had better hurry." When Harry didn't respond he looked at him sternly. "Unless you would rather walk back with me?"

Harry rolled his eyes and turned around, resisting the urge to stomp to the carriage where his friends were waiting for him.

Severus narrowed his eyes at the attitude and spun on his heel to return to the castle. Was there something wrong with wanting to make sure his son was alright after such a harrowing experience? He knew this was going to be a tough year with trying to make sure Harry was safe and his son was just going to have to deal with having an overprotective father and that was that.

**HPHPHPHP**

"What was your Dad doing here?" Ron asked as the carriage began moving.

"He wanted to make sure I was okay." Harry answered as he watched the scenery. "He also wants me to go to the infirmary." He added in a quieter voice so that no one else would hear him.

"Oh, because of what happened on the train?" Hermione nodded. "I don't blame him."

Harry looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course mate. If that had happened to me and my Mum was here she would be dragging me to the infirmary." Ron said with a shrug. "It's a parent thing."

Harry considered this for a moment. He supposed he had overreacted. His Dad was already worried for him and then hearing about the Dementor on the train, of course he would want to ensure that his child was all right. It was better than being ignored like the Dursley's would have done. Harry supposed that despite it being a year since finding out his Dad was Snape he still wasn't completely used to how being someone's kid worked. Suddenly Harry felt guilty for acting like a brat to his Dad. He wouldn't trade having a Dad that cared about him for anything. Harry vowed to be extra good and responsible this year no matter what. Well, he would try anyway.

**HPHPHPHP**

As soon as the trio entered the castle, Professor McGonagall called Hermione and Harry over. "Miss Granger, I was hoping to have a word with you about your classes." Professor McGonagall looked at Harry. "How are you Mr. Snape?"

"I'm fine Professor. I need to go to the infirmary though." Harry said resignedly.

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Let me walk with you there. Miss. Granger, wait for me at my office so we can discuss your studies this year."

Hermione nodded. "Yes Professor. See you soon Harry."

Once they reached the infirmary Professor McGonagall gave Harry a nod and left him to go meet Hermione. Harry walked inside and saw his Dad waiting for him.

"This will only take a moment Harry." Severus said quietly.

"I hate that they have those horrible things around our school." Poppy grumbled as she waved her wand over Harry, running a diagnostic. "The children should not be subjected to them."

"The Dementor's should not have boarded the train." Severus said, watching the diagnostic intently. "I'm not happy about it myself."

Poppy lowered her wand. "Everything appears fine. Do you feel dizzy or sick at all?" After Harry shook his head no, she turned to Severus. "I don't blame you for wanting to be sure, especially as he fainted. But there are no injuries or affects of the Dementor's that I can find." She turned back to Harry. "If you would like I can give you a calming draught."

Harry shook his head. "I'm okay, really." He looked pleadingly at his Dad.

"If he changes his mind I will supply him with one." Severus told Poppy. "Thank you."

Poppy nodded. "I'll see you at the sorting feast."

Severus guided his son out of the infirmary. "I'll walk you to the tower. There is still a little time before the feast starts, I'm sure your friends are still getting settled in."

"Okay." Harry agreed. He stayed silent for a moment while they walked. "I'm sorry I was a brat earlier." He said finally.

Severus glanced over at his son. "I can understand that you don't want to be coddled over but all I wanted to do was make sure you were okay. I was certainly not trying to embarrass you." He sighed. "I didn't appreciate the attitude but I know you have just been through a traumatic experience. You're just going to have to tolerate that my number one concern is your safety."

Harry stopped walking and threw his arms around his Dad. "I'm glad it is. I know what's like to have no parents and have no one care if I was safe or not. I was just being a brat."

Severus chuckled and hugged his son back. "It's okay Harry, and you are not a brat. Also, you never have to worry about having no one care about you again. You will always have me."

"You love me so much and the Dursley's hate me so much. It's still weird for me sometimes." Harry mumbled into his father's robes. Thank Merlin no one was around to see him behaving like a three year old.

Severus frowned. "Harry, did running into the Dursley's this summer bring up old issues for you?" He asked in concern, running his hand through his son's hair.

Harry pulled back and shook his head. "No, I was just saying." He didn't want to tell his father that he still sometimes had nightmares of living with the Dursley's and that they had escalated since running into them. They arrived at the Tower and Harry offered his Dad a smile. "I'll see you at the feast Dad. Make sure you eat some vegetables!" He gave a cheeky grin and hurried up the stairs.

Severus shook his head with an amused smile and headed to the Great Hall to help oversee the students arriving for dinner.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Welcome, welcome!" Dumbledore stood at the Head Table and addressed the students once the sorting was finished. "I hope you all had a marvelous summer! A few things I would like to announce and then we can enjoy a wonderful feast. First, we have two new Professors' that I would like all of you to welcome. As Professor Kettleborn has decided to retire from teaching so he doesn't lose the rest of his remaining limbs, our new Care of Magical Creature's Professor is none other than Rubeus Hagrid!"

The Great Hall filled with the sound of clapping. Harry looked at Hagrid who was grinning at the Head Table. No wonder Hagrid had sent him the text book as a present! And he had been acting a little mysterious that day Harry had seen him during the summer. He was excited for his friend and knew that Care of Magical Creatures would at the very least be quite an interesting class.

"As for our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I would like to introduce you to Remus Lupin. He is a former student of Hogwarts and we are very pleased to have him back." Dumbledore continued, smiling as the room politely clapped for Remus.

Harry watched his Dad clap though there was a slightly sour expression on his face. Did his Dad and Professor Lupin not get along? He wondered if he should ask. Harry was interrupted by his thoughts by the Headmaster's next announcement.

"I would like to caution you all that the Dementor's from Azkaban will be guarding our school until the escaped murderer Sirius Black is caught. They shall be stationed at the all the entrances to the grounds. While they are not to interfere with our activities, these are quite vicious creatures and will go after anyone they think is in their way of finding the one they hunt." Dumbledore warned in a serious voice. "Do not give them any reason to harm you." His face relaxed once again into a smile. "I believe I have spoken enough. Everyone, tuck in!"

Ron immediately began filling his plate with the bountiful food that appeared on the table. "What did Professor McGonagall want to talk to you about?" He asked with his mouth full of pot roast.

Hermione gave him a disgusted look as she put carrots on her plate. "She simply wanted to talk about my schedule." She answered absently. "I take it Madame Pomfrey didn't find anything wrong with you?" She asked Harry.

Harry took a gulp of his pumpkin juice. "No, of course not. I'm fine." He heard laughter behind him and turned around in his seat. At the Slytherin table Theodore Nott was doing an impression of someone fainting. He had a sinking feeling he knew who Nott was imitating.

"What a prat." Ron said, glaring in the Slytherin's direction.

"Well, now that's surprising." Hermione nodded towards where Draco was sitting.

Harry looked and saw that instead of joining in the teasing, Draco was ignoring Nott and those who were laughing and instead was talking to Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. "Hmm, I would think Malfoy would be leading in the put downs of me."

"He's probably planning something Harry. You know the Malfoy's." Ron scowled in Draco's direction.

Harry shrugged and was about to turn back to his meal when he noticed his Dad glaring one of his famous glares at Nott. Harry smirked as the Slytherin quickly returned to his meal, his face red. Ah, it definitely helped having a Dad who was also a scary Professor.

"I can't believe Hagrid is going to be our Professor! It makes sense though, who else would assign us a text book that tries to eat us?" Ron shook his head in disbelief.

Harry laughed. "Well, at least class won't be boring." As they ate, Harry noticed Hermione putting bits of pot roast in a napkin and folding it up. He caught her eye. "Fancy on needing a snack later?" He teased.

"No this is for Crookshanks." Hermione said happily, stuffing the napkin into her bag.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Your cat is probably only wanting to find rats to eat."

Hermione shrugged. "It is a cat's nature." She scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Ron huffed. "The only rat around is mine!"

Hermione sighed. "Crookshanks will not eat your rat Ronald." She said irritably.

"Better not." Ron mumbled into his food.

Harry stifled a yawn and was actually happy when they were instructed to go back to their dorms. The day's events were catching up with him and he was feeling exhausted. It felt great to bury himself into his bed and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"_Harry, I have some very sad and shocking news." Dumbledore told him._

"_What's wrong?" Harry asked, confused as to why he was in the Headmaster's office to begin with._

"_It turns out that Severus is not your real father." Dumbledore said sadly. "Since he has no claim to you, you will have to return to the Dursley's."_

_Harry stared at him in shock. "What? No! My Dad would never let that happen!" He began to shake and a feeling of fear filled him. _

_Dumbledore shrugged. "You're not his son so why would he care? Don't worry Harry; at least you have the Dursley's." _

"_No! They hate me! I want to talk to my Dad. Please!" Harry begged, tears spilling down his cheeks._

Harry woke up with a start and quickly looked around to make sure he hadn't woken up any of his dorm mates. He wondered if he had made any noise. He would have to make sure to cast a silencing spell around his bed from now on. Harry settled back down and tried to breathe evenly. The dream had felt so real. Part of him wanted to tell his Dad so that he could be reassured that the nightmare would never happen but he didn't want to burden his Dad any more than he already was. He has enough to worry about, Harry told himself. Besides, he knew it was silly. It was just a nightmare. Harry sighed and grabbed his wand to cast the silencing spell just in case he had another bad dream. It took awhile but finally he was able to fall back into a restless sleep.

**TBC: Review if you get a chance! =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Hope you enjoy!**

Students were talking amongst themselves as they waited for their Potion's Professor to arrive for class. As usual, the Gryffindors were paired with the Slytherins.

"Your cat hissed at Scabbers in the common room!" Ron told Hermione in a tight voice.

"Oh my, a cat that hisses? I'll have to have Crookshanks checked out." Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to reading her potions textbook.

"Hermione!" Ron glared at her, angry that she wasn't taking the situation seriously. He turned his glare to his other friend when Harry began laughing.

"Sorry mate. Um, maybe you guys could have a schedule of when your familiar is allowed in the common room." Harry suggested as he tried to stop laughing.

Hermione looked thoughtful at that idea but was interrupted before she could say anything.

"Potter, please tell me you didn't actually faint on the train." Theo Nott said, standing next to the trio. He pretended to look concerned. "Did Daddy make sure you were okay?"

"Professor Snape must be so embarrassed that you are his son." Millicent Bludestrode said in disgust. "You are so weak."

"Oh, and tearing someone down makes you strong?" Hermione defended her friend.

"Don't worry about it Hermione. They don't bother me." Harry said dismissively, although he couldn't deny to himself that he _did_ feel weak because of what happened on the train. "Just ignore them."

"Yeah, just ignore us mudblood." Theo smirked and turned to walk to his seat, ignoring Ron as the redhead had started to stand up, when he almost collided with Draco.

"Did you hit your head this morning?" Draco asked politely. Blaise and Pansy were watching with cool amusement in their eyes, standing behind the blond Slytherin.

"Huh?" Theo frowned in confusion.

"Did you somehow lose your memory or are you just simple-minded by nature?" Draco dropped the polite act and narrowed his eyes at his fellow Slytherin.

"What's your problem Malfoy?" Theo sneered.

"You heard Professor Snape's speech last night about how a true Slytherin is to conduct. And then you pick on our Head of House's son? You must have been dropped on your head as a baby." Draco rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I made that mistake last year and it didn't end well."

"Relax Draco, I won't get caught." Theo threw Harry a mean little look.

"We'll see." Draco smirked, his expression clearly showing that he didn't think much of Theo's cunning skills. His expression darkened. "If we lose points because of your stupidity…" He stared at Theo for a moment.

Theo looked uncertainly at Millicent and then back at Draco. "I won't so back off Malfoy."

Harry watched in shock as the Slytherins took their seats. The other students in the class who had been watching silently all had surprised looks on their faces.

"Did I really just see that or am I hallucinating?" Ron asked his friends seriously. "I mean, it almost appeared that Malfoy stuck up for us or something."

"That was really strange." Hermione said, her eyes wide. "I can't believe he didn't join Nott in his taunting."

"He acted strange in the bookstore this summer too. I mean, he was still rude but not as spiteful as he had been last year." Harry mused aloud. "What do you think he is up to?"

"Nothing good. He's a Slytherin after all." Ron scoffed. "Slytherins are never up to anything good." He added knowingly.

Harry glared at him and Hermione hit his arm with her book.

"Ow!" Ron whined.

"I really hate to interrupt but do you mind if I start class?"

Ron paled and turned around to see Professor Snape standing behind him. "Oh, um yes Professor. I mean, no Professor you can start."

"Thank you ever so much." Severus drawled, stalking up to the front of the classroom. He had heard some of the exchange and would deal with Theo later. He was also as surprised as his son at Draco's behavior. He frowned at his students. "I may have been a bit late but that does not mean you could not have begun reading your texts. Although, perhaps some of you were concerned that I was late because I was… up to something." He stared at Ron who blanched and quickly scrambled to get his books out.

Students immediately began getting their books and quills out as well, ready to take lecture notes. "Before we begin, hand in your summer homework on Shrinking Solutions." Snape ordered.

There was a rustling sound as the students hurried to take out there essays and pass them to the front of class. Severus read through some of the essays with a frown still on his face. "I can see many of you didn't bother to really read about Shrinking Solutions before writing your essays." He said darkly. "And some of you basically just copied directly from the book. And others of you wrote in such bad handwriting I will have to use a spell to decipher it." He looked at Neville with a slight scowl. He noticed Harry giving him a glare at that but ignored it for now. He had heard from Professor Sprout that Neville was gifted in Herbololgy so he knew the boy had potential and he wanted the child to start showing it. "Let's put your knowledge to the test shall we? Pair up and get your ingredients to make a Shrinking Solution."

The students began lighting their cauldrons and cutting up their ingredients and Severus began walking the room. He was relieved to see that Miss. Granger had partnered up with Longbottom as the Shrinking Solution could be poisonous if brewed incorrectly. Despite most of his students thinking otherwise, he did not want anyone to get hurt. "The color when you are done should be a bright green." He continued. "Hmm, perhaps we will test it when you all are finished." He smirked at the panicked looks and returned to his desk to begin marking the essays while still keeping an eye on his students' potions.

Harry had gone to the cupboard to get the leech juice he had forgotten and when walking back to his desk, a leg shot out and Harry stumbled. He only just managed not to drop his ingredient. He glared at Theo. "Think you're clever do you?"

Theo gave him an innocent look. "It was an accident Snape."

"Sure it was." Harry muttered as he returned to his desk.

"Tell your Dad." Ron hissed.

Harry glanced over and saw that his Dad had begun walking around the room to check on the potions. He was on the other side of the room and hadn't seen Theo's little stunt. "No, I don't want to be a tattle tale." Harry told Ron quietly. "I can handle Nott."

Ron sighed as he added the leech juice to their potion. Suddenly something splashed into their cauldron and caused it to start bubbling over.

"Step away!" Severus hurried over and quickly vanished the potion. "Did any of it get on you?" He asked urgently as he looked over both boys.

"No, we're okay." Harry replied with a glance to Ron. He looked around in confusion. "What happened? Something fell in our potion."

"No, it did not _fall_ in." Severus whirled around and stalked towards Theo. "Are you an imbecile Mr. Nott? Do you think I do not have eyes?" His voice was like ice.

"N-No Sir." Theo's eyes grew wide. "I didn't do anything!"

"I saw you!" Severus snapped at him.

"It was an accident!" Theo lied.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "First you say you didn't do anything and now you say it was an accident?" He bent down with a terrible scowl on his face. "They could have been seriously hurt or worse! I expect my Slytherins to not only take this subject seriously but to use their brain!" He straightened back up. "Detention with Mr. Filch for a month and twenty-five points from Slytherin." He turned away from the little brat and looked over to his son. "Mr. Snape and Mr. Weasley, go ahead and start a new potion. You have enough time." He said in a more gentle voice.

Harry and Ron smirked in Theo's direction. The Slytherin looked pale and was receiving dark looks from his fellow housemates. "I guess even his friends aren't too happy with him." Ron said gleefully. "And Professor Snape took points from Slytherin!"

Harry nodded as they set up to make the potion again. He knew his Dad did not like to take points from his own House and not just because it was his own House but because he knew that Slytherin tended to lose points unfairly because of the prejudice against Slytherins. That would probably be why his Dad still looked furious. Well, he was more than likely furious because two of his students could have been hurt over a stupid stunt, never mind one of them being his son. He offered his Dad a small smile and was happy when his Dad's face relaxed a bit.

After class was over Harry waited until the other students had handed in their potions before going up and handing in his and Ron's. "Dad? Are you mad?"

"Yes. Mr. Nott is going to be in for a very unpleasant year if he keeps this attitude up." Severus sighed and looked at Harry. "I'm just happy that none of the Shrinking Solution got on you." He shook his head. Here he had been worrying about Sirius Black being after his son and right in his own class a student could have caused Harry to be severely injured! He not for the first time wished Dumbledore would not pair up Slytherin and Gryffindor together in classes, especially this one.

Harry shrugged. "I'm fine." He assured his Dad with a smile. "I'll see ya later!" He gave a wave and left with Ron and Hermione who were waiting for him at the door.

Severus watched him go and reminded himself to make extra Calming Draught. He was sure he was going to need it to get through the year.

**HPHPHPHP**

Hagrid led his third year class of Gryffindors and Slytherins towards the Forbidden Forest. "We aren't going in there are we?" Lavender Brown asked nervously.

Hagrid gave a laugh. "Of course not! But I do have something amazing to show all of yer!"

"I can't believe this moron gets to be a Professor." Theo muttered. "Dumbledore must be senile."

"Shut up Nott!" Harry glared at Theo. He was a little wary of Hagrid's class but he didn't want anyone to say anything to hurt Hagrid's feelings.

"What are you going to do about it Snape?" Theo taunted as he took a step towards Harry.

Before Harry could respond, Draco pushed Theo back. "Knock it off Nott! You've already lost us points because of your stupidity!" He hissed.

"Yeah and if you lose us anymore today, Professor Snape will have your head." Blaise stood next to Draco as they stared Theo down.

Harry exchanged a surprised look with Ron and Hermione. "What's he playing at?" Ron whispered to Harry, nodding towards Draco. "This is getting weird."

Harry shrugged. "No clue mate. It's probably a prank or something. You know, make us think he's a good guy now." It was the only thing he could think of.

"Like we would fall for it." Ron grumbled with a suspicious look in Draco's direction.

Hermione suddenly gasped. "Oh, look!"

Emerging from the forest was a creature had the head, front legs, and wings of a giant eagle and its hind legs and tail looked like that of a horse. The creature's bright orange eyes stared at them curiously.

"This is Buckbeak!" Hagrid announced. "Can anyone guess what kind of creature he is?"

"An odd looking one." Theo snickered.

Hagrid frowned a little but brightened back up when Hermione raised her hand. "Care to take a guess Hermione?"

"A Hippogriff?"

Hagrid beamed. "Five point to Gryffindor! All right, firs' thing to know abou' hippogriffs is that they are very proud creatures. They are easily offended so you never want to insult one 'cause it may be the last thing yeh do. Yer gotta show proper respect by bowing and if he bows back then yeh're allowed to touch him. Of course, if he don't bow back, then yeh best get away 'cause those talons are sharp."

"I was hoping we would get to see unicorns." Lavender whispered to Parvati Patil.

Hagrid didn't appear to have heard Lavender. He looked at his students with a bright smile. "So, who would like to approach Buckbeak firs'?" No one responded and several students actually took a few steps back. Hagrid's face fell.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I will."

Hagrid grinned. "That a boy 'Arry! Remember, approach slowly and let him make the firs' move."

Harry looked at Buckbeak who was staring at him. Harry took a few steps towards him and then stopped and while still maintaining eye contact, bowed. Buckbeak gazed at him for a moment and then gracefully bowed back.

Harry relaxed and carefully walked closer. He tentatively reached out and pet Buckbeak on the head. Buckbeak flapped his wings and nuzzled his head more into Harry's hand.

"He likes yeh!" Hagrid beamed. "I think he wants yer to ride him!"

Harry looked over his shoulder at Hagrid. "What?" Before he could say anything else Hagrid lifted him up and put him on Buckbeak's back. Before Harry could even process anything, he was soaring into the sky. He quickly grabbed onto Buckbeak's feathers, afraid for a second that he would fall. He relaxed his grip after a minute when he realized that Buckbeak was a graceful flyer. He felt the familiar excitement he got when he flew on his broom. He loved being in the air! Very slowly, he stretched his arms out wide open and laughed out loud at the freedom he felt. He gave a loud whoop as Buckbeak swooped down over the lake. Buckbeak lifted up just as Harry noticed a figure standing near the castle and he only had a second's glance at his Dad's shocked face before Buckbeak soared him away and back to Hagrid.

"That was brilliant!" Harry exclaimed when he slid off of Buckbeak. He hoped his Dad didn't come over and make a big deal about him flying Buckbeak. How embarrassing would that be?

"Good boy Buckbeak! I'm going to go grab him a treat." Hagrid said as he began ruffling through a bag.

"That was nothing." Theo scoffed. "Anyone could fly him like that. He's just some overgrown bird." He began walking up to Buckbeak, whose orange eyes narrowed.

"Nott, you can't just approach him like that." Harry warned but it was too late.

Theo grabbed Buckbeak roughly which caused Buckbeak to rear up on his hind legs and come down hard, a talon slicing Theo's arm.

"Ow!" Theo fell to the ground, clutching his arm. "He's trying to kill me! Help!"

"Buckbeak, get back!" Hagrid quickly calmed the angry hippogriff and threw a dead ferret for him.

"Hagrid, I think he needs to be taken to the infirmary." Hermione said seriously as Theo continued to groan in pain.

"Right. Uh, class is finished for today." Hagrid lifted Theo up and began carrying him down the walkway.

"You stupid oaf! My Dad will hear about this!" Theo could be heard shrieking. "He'll have your job for sure!"

Millicent looked close to tears. "How could Hagrid have that horrible creature here? It's dangerous!"

"Buckbeak isn't dangerous if treated right. We all heard Hagrid's instructions." Hermione defended Hagrid.

Harry glanced to where Buckbeak was happily gnawing on his ferret. It wasn't Buckbeak's fault. He hoped Hagrid and the hippogriff didn't get blamed for Nott's stupidity. After all, there were enough witnesses to attest to Nott being mean to Buckbeak. But still, Harry had a bad feeling.

As Harry turned to follow his friends back to the castle he caught sight of a pair of dark eyes staring at him from the Forbidden Forest. Harry squinted his eyes. Fang? No, it was too small to be Fang. It looked like a regular dog. A stray maybe? Harry wanted to step closer but when he looked again, the dog was gone.

**TBC:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

After dinner Harry asked Percy to walk him to his quarters. He wanted to talk to his Dad about what had happened during Care of Magical Creatures. Harry thanked Percy when they arrived in the dungeons and then let himself into his quarters. He flopped down onto the couch to wait for his Dad. He wondered if there had been any news on Sirius Black. He couldn't believe classes had just started and he already felt so stressed out.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up and saw his Dad looking at him in concern.

"What are you doing here? Are you all right?" Severus asked, putting his hand to Harry's forehead to make sure his son wasn't sick.

"Yes, I feel fine." Harry said with a shrug.

"Did you walk here by yourself?" Severus asked with a frown.

Harry made a face. "No, I asked Percy to walk me. It's so embarrassing; you'd think I was a toddler or something."

"The whine in your tone sure makes you sound like one." Severus said lightly as he put the pile of papers he needed to grade on the coffee table. "I saw you riding Buckbeak earlier."

Harry's face brightened. "It was so awesome! I loved it!"

"I must admit I was startled to see you riding a hippogriff." Severus admitted with a chuckle.

"Thank you for not pulling me to safety like you did during the summer." Harry joked.

Severus smirked. "I thought about it."

"I saw Nott at dinner." Harry said casually. "He had a sling on his arm." He looked questioningly at his Dad.

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey healed his arm. I doubt he actually needs the sling." Severus remarked, settling back into the sofa. He stretched his legs out and rested his feet on the coffee table. Summoning his papers to him, he began to grade essays.

"He said he was going to complain to his father." Harry said, leaning over to read whose essay his Dad was grading.

Severus gave a mock scowl and pulled the essay out of sight. "The only grades that are your business are you own." He scolded in amusement.

Harry smirked. "My essay should receive a big fat O as my tyrant of a Dad made me redo it like a hundred times."

Severus rolled his eyes. "It was not a hundred times."

"Felt like it." Harry playfully grumbled. He returned to their previous conversation. "Hagrid's not in trouble is he? It wasn't his fault that Buckbeak attacked Nott. It wasn't even Buckbeak's fault."

"I'm sure it wasn't. I do know what Mr. Nott said and have heard Hagrid's version as well regarding the incident." Severus said slowly. "I do know that Mr. Nott sent a letter off to his parents. We will have to wait and see what will happen with that. As far as Hogwarts goes, Hagrid is not in trouble."

"It really was Nott's fault. He didn't bow and just walked right up to Buckbeak and grabbed him roughly. Buckbeak was just protecting himself." Harry told his father. "Everyone saw it."

"I believe you Harry." Severus said quietly. He had a feeling Mr. Nott was going to make trouble for Hagrid but didn't want to tell his son that until he knew for sure. Theo Nott was already trying to bully his son and was upset at the punishment Severus had given him for his stunt in potions. Who knew what trouble he would try to cause. "As I said, we will wait and see what happens."

"Nott's a prat, can't you just expel him?" Harry only half joked.

"If I could expel all of the obnoxious children, you would be the only student here." Severus smirked. "As it is, Mr. Nott still has a month of detention to look forward to."

Harry grinned. That was true. "Couldn't happen to a nicer Slytherin." He teased. He tilted his head to the side. "And speaking of nicer Slytherins, what's with Malfoy?"

Severus raised his head from the abominable essay he was reading. "What do you mean?"

"He's kind of been sticking up for me. Well, he did in potions and in Care of Magical Creatures he and Zabini stuck up for me again." Harry shrugged. "It's weird."

Severus had not responded to Lucius yet but if Malfoy senior was interested in switching sides then having his son be nicer to the "boy-who-lived" would be a start. "That is interesting. You never know, he could be seeing the error of his ways." Hopefully.

Harry gave him a doubtful look.

"But you are wise to be cautious of it." Severus amended. "People are capable of change but you do want to be careful."

"I will be, believe me." Harry said as he stood up. "I better get back to my dorm. I still have homework to start."

Severus gave him an exasperated look. "You need to manage your time better. Perhaps make use of the planner Miss. Granger gave you?" He stood up as well.

"Uh, yeah maybe." Harry said reluctantly.

"I'll walk you back." Severus said. "And I do not want you staying up too late."

"You really don't need to walk me back. I have my wand." Harry sighed.

"I really do not want to have this same agreement every day." Severus said firmly. "Until Black is caught you are not to be on your own."

"Dad…"

"Harry…"

Father and son stared at each other for a moment. "Okay. I'm sorry." Harry said finally. He wasn't going to win this argument and he had been told enough times that this was how it was going to be. "I still think the castle is safe." He couldn't help adding. There was no way Sirius Black could get into Hogwarts.

"Do you?" Severus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So you think nothing bad can get you here?"

"Well, yeah. Hogwarts is well protected, especially this year." Harry shrugged, not realizing he was being led into a trap.

"So being hexed to fall off of your broom and facing Voldemort your first year, entering the chamber to once again face Voldemort your second year, those are not examples that even Hogwarts is not one hundred percent secure?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Um," Harry hedged. Drat. "That was just bad luck." He tried.

Severus crossed his arms. "That was not bad luck especially when you went looking for trouble."

"Trouble just finds me!" Harry protested weakly. Okay, so he had deliberately gone looking for the Sorcerer's Stone. And he had gone looking for the Chamber of Secrets. Hmmm…

"Indeed it does." Severus agreed with a shake of his head. "Back to your dorm with you, homework apparently awaits." He put his arm around Harry as they walked out into the hallway.

"So I guess there are no updates about Sirius Black." Harry said as they walked.

"No. I would tell you if there were." Severus assured him.

Once they arrived to the Tower, Harry gave his Dad a quick hug before entering the common room. He found there were still students awake and doing homework. He saw Hermione and Ron in their usual spot by the fireplace and after grabbing his books from his dorm he joined his friends.

Hermione was writing a lengthy essay and Ron was writing as well with a bored expression on his face.

"Is that for Ancient Runes?" Harry asked as he got out his textbook.

Hermione nodded. "It's really interesting isn't it?"

Harry began his reading with a shrug. It had only been one class and seemed a little overwhelming but some of it sounded interesting. "What are you working on Ron?"

"Divination." Ron rolled his eyes. "We have to describe a recent dream and then conclude what we think the dream means."

"Sounds easier than this." Harry began writing his essay.

"True." Ron snickered. "Although, Professor Trelawney doesn't think Hermione is receptive to the future."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "It's only been one class, but I am already regretting taking it. She's seems a bit…"

"Mental?" Ron suggested.

Harry frowned suddenly. "Wait, how were you in Divination? Doesn't that meet at the same time as Ancient Runes?"

Hermione began gathering her papers and books. "Don't be silly Harry, how could I be in two places at once? Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight!"

Harry looked at Ron. "Seriously, aren't those classes at the same-"

"Harry, I have to tell you something." Ron interrupted with an unusually serious look on his face. "Hermione told me not to so that you didn't get upset but I figured you might hear about it from other students anyway."

"Tell me about what?"

Ron took a deep breath. "Professor Trelawney started talking about you when we were viewing our tea leaves. She said she had foreseen that you would not be in Divination because you wouldn't be able to handle the truth."

"What truth?" Harry asked in confusion. "And why would she mention me at all?"

"She said she saw something about the chosen one in my cup." Ron replied. "And then Lavender told her that you and I were best friends. Professor Trelawney said that my cup showed you and the grim."

"What's the grim?"

Ron looked nervous. "An omen of death." He whispered.

Harry stared at him for a moment. "She is predicting my death and I'm not even in the class?"

"Yeah mate. See, I thought the leaves looked like a dog but she said it was the grim."

Harry froze for a second, remembering that he had seen a dog after Hagrid's class.

"Hermione thinks she is a fraud and she really does seem loony." Ron said quickly. "I just thought you should know but don't worry about it or anything."

"Yeah, I won't." Harry said weakly, returning to his essay. But after seeing a strange dog today, how could he not worry about it? He sighed. It was just like he had told his Dad, trouble just found him.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Welcome to your third year of Defense against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Lupin." Remus introduced himself to his students.

"Are we going to actually learn about Defense this year?" A student called out.

"I sure hope so." Remus chuckled. "I understand your Professor last year was unsatisfactory?"

Snickering could be heart throughout the room. "That's for sure." Ron muttered.

"Hopefully this will be a better experience for you." Remus said, walking towards a wardrobe that was shaking slightly. "Today we will be learning about boggarts. Does anyone know what a boggart is?"

Hermione raised her hand. "They are a shape-shifting non-being that takes the form of what you fear the most."

"Correct Miss…?"

"Granger, Hermione."

"Five points to Gryffindor Miss. Granger." Remus nodded. "What we will be doing today is learning the charm that will repel them. Repeat after me. Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus!"

"Now, what you want to do is when your boggart turns into what you fear is to picture something funny." He nodded at Neville. "What is your greatest fear Mr.?"

"Longbottom." Neville said nervously. He cleared his throat. "Um, well…" He glanced at Harry. "Professor Snape." He said quietly.

Laughter could be heart throughout the room and Harry frowned at his fellow Gryffindor. While his Dad was still a strict teacher he had changed in a lot of ways. He didn't take points unfairly anymore and even though he still scolded Neville when Neville messed up a potion or melted a cauldron, he didn't yell or call him names.

Remus grinned a little. "Yes, Professor Snape can be scary."

Harry's frown turned into a glare and was now directed at Professor Lupin.

Remus didn't notice as he was still talking to Neville. He looked at the nervous Gryffindor thoughtfully. "You live with your grandmother correct?"

Neville nodded.

"All right, now picture your Grandmother's favorite outfit. Get a clear vision of it in your head and when you say the charm, keep picturing that outfit. Ready?" Remus opened the wardrobe and suddenly what looked like Professor Snape stepped out, a sneer on his face.

"Riddikulus!" Neville shouted.

Suddenly the boggart was wearing an olive green dress and a vulture hat as well as a red handbag. It looked around in confusion as the class began laughing.

Harry crossed his arms and huffed. He didn't like that people were laughing at his Dad. Well, technically they were laughing at the boggart but still. He noticed Hermione had refrained from laughing and instead gave him a sympathetic smile. Ron, however, was cracking up. Harry did see that most of the Slytherins were not laughing either.

"All right, who is next?" Remus called out with a laugh. He turned on some music and the students began lining up.

Ron was next and "Professor Snape" turned into a giant spider that had several students yelp with fear. Ron said the charm and the spider now was wearing skates and sliding all around.

This Harry did laugh at, though he was still a little irked about Neville's boggart. He noticed Draco watching the boggart lesson with a bored expression.

Before Harry could stop himself, he stepped closer to the Slytherin. "Why didn't you laugh?" He asked in a whisper, not wanting to lose points for talking in class. "When Neville's boggart became my Dad?"

Draco looked surprised. "Professor Snape is my Head of House. No proper student would laugh at their Head of House expense. It's called respect Snape." Draco looked at Harry curiously. "Would you have laughed if a Slytherin had done the same thing only it was McGonagall instead?"

Harry paused. Probably no Gryffindors would have laughed if McGonagall had been made a fool of. "Point taken." He muttered.

Draco snorted and looked away.

Harry waited patiently for his turn and when he finally stepped up to the boggart he wondered if it would turn to Voldemort. Or maybe….he remembered the dementor on the train and bit his lip nervously.

Before the boggart could change Remus suddenly swooped in front of him and the boggart turned into a full moon which he then turned into a balloon. He sent the balloon into the wardrobe and shut the door. "I know everyone wanted a chance but that is all we have time for. Class dismissed!" He said hurriedly.

Harry waited as the students began leaving.

"Harry let's go." Ron said.

"No, I want to ask Professor Lupin something." Harry responded.

Remus looked at the trio in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Why did you stop me from facing the boggart?" Harry asked flatly.

"We ran out of time." Remus answered, though he couldn't look Harry in the eye.

"No we didn't. We actually still have a few minutes." Hermione spoke up.

Remus sighed. "You know, most students would be thrilled to get out of class early." He informed them. He relented. "I thought your boggart would turn into Voldemort and that would have startled everyone."

"Oh." Harry said slowly. "I don't think it would have turned into Voldemort."

"You-know-who!" Ron hissed, covering his ears.

"So can I try?" Harry asked, ignoring Ron.

Remus hesitated and then nodded. "Of course. Do you have something funny in your mind?"

Now it was Harry's turn to hesitate. If the boggart turned into a Dementor, how could he make that humorous? Turning it into a blanket? A cloud of smoke? "I'm ready." He announced, trying to sound braver than he felt.

Remus opened the wardrobe and a Dementor floated out, heading straight for Harry.

Harry raised his wand, trying to focus on something funny but he couldn't. All he felt was cold and alone. Once again, a woman screamed but this time he could hear what she was saying.

"No, not my baby!"

There was a shout and then what looked like a silvery dog filled his vision before he once again passed out.

**TBC: I don't think Harry's Patronus would be a stag in this story so what should it be? A baby deer maybe? Something that flies? What are your thoughts?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

"How could you let this happen?" Severus snapped at Remus.

"Severus, I did try to stop him but he really wanted to try it." Remus defended himself.

Harry felt a hand run through his hair and he leaned into his father's touch. Slowly he opened his eyes. "Dad?"

"I'm here Harry. It's okay. You're okay." Severus said in a soothing voice.

"I passed out again didn't I?" Harry asked as he became aware that he was in the infirmary. He felt ashamed that he was so weak.

Severus could tell immediately what his son was thinking. "You did but do not be embarrassed about that. We have discussed how horrible of creatures the Dementors are." He said quietly.

Harry looked away. "I heard the woman again. It's Mum." He whispered.

Severus paled. He had hoped when this happened on the train that Harry had only imagined hearing a scream. He hadn't wanted it to be Lily that Harry was hearing.

"She said, not my baby." Harry continued. He looked up at his Dad, his emerald eyes filling with tears. "She sounded so scared."

Severus put his arm around Harry and drew him into a hug. "It's okay son." He whispered as he held tightly to his child. Harry had heard Lily's last moments? Dear Merlin.

"He heard Lily?" Remus asked in a horrified voice.

"Severus." Poppy gestured that she wanted to check Harry over so Severus moved to let her work, however he didn't relinquish his hold on his son. Poppy ran a diagnostic and handed Severus a bar of chocolate. "He needs this and some rest." She said softly.

Severus broke off a piece and offered the chocolate to his son. "Here Harry, you will feel a lot better." He said gently. He relaxed when his son ate the chocolate and color began returning to his face.

As Harry nibbled on the chocolate, Severus turned his gaze to Remus. It may be irrational to blame the wolf for what happened but Severus did not feel like being rational. "Despite my personal feelings regarding you, I had at least thought you would be a somewhat decent teacher!" He spat out.

"How could I have known this would happen?" Remus argued though his voice was filled with guilt. "I thought his boggart would be Voldemort and I stopped him from facing it because I did not want to startle all the children." He said. "He waited until everyone but his friends had left and said he wanted his chance to face it."

Severus gritted his teeth and turned back to his son. Harry had finished his chocolate and though he looked better, his eyes were still downcast. "Let's go Harry. You can rest in our quarters until dinner okay?"

Harry nodded and got up.

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Remus said as father and son began to walk away.

"It wasn't your fault Professor. I'm the one who insisted on facing the boggart." Harry responded. He tried to offer his Professor a smile but had a feeling it came out more as a grimace.

Remus watched Severus and Harry leave with sorrowful eyes. Poor kid.

**HPHPHPHP**

Once inside their quarters, Harry went to the sofa and slumped down into it.

Severus regarded him for a moment and then went into the kitchen. He came out holding a tray of tea and chocolate biscuits. He had added a drop of calming draught to Harry's cup so that he would be able to relax and rest. "Here." He said as he handed Harry his cup and a biscuit. "Have this and then you should take a rest." He refrained from saying nap as he knew his son considered himself too old for naps.

Harry stayed silent as he sipped on his tea and nibbled on the biscuit. "I've always wanted to remember hearing Mum's voice." Harry finally said, his tone soft and sad. "But…not like that."

Severus sat down next to Harry and put his arm around him. "I'm so sorry Harry."

"She was so scared." Harry mumbled as the effects of the draught began taking effect.

"She was scared for you." Severus said. His heart tightened painfully but he kept his voice low and soothing. "All she would have cared about was saving you. And she did." He gave his son a reassuring squeeze. "There is a charm to repel Dementor's. It is quite advanced but you are very bright and I think you could learn enough to help you. It's the Patronus Charm."

"Patronus?" Harry yawned.

Severus nodded. "Yes. But we will talk about it later. For now, sleep. Think good thoughts of your Mother such as the stories I have shared with you and what you saw of her in the pensive."

"She was brave." Harry leaned into his father more and shut his eyes as he remembered that though his Mum had sounded scared, she had also sounded strong and determined as she tried to protect him.

"Yes she was. And so are you." Severus smiled slightly.

"You too Dad."

A couple of minutes later Harry had fallen asleep with his head on his Dad's lap. Severus just sat there with his child, running his hand through Harry's hair while lost in memories of a smiling, beautiful red-head. Once again all he could do was wonder and imagine what life would have been like if Lily had lived. His son wouldn't have had to deal with so much pain that was for sure. He carded his hand through Harry's raven hair again. "All I want is for you to be happy and safe." He whispered to the sleeping child. "I'm doing my best, I promise."

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry woke up right before dinner and assured his Dad that he felt well enough to eat in the Great Hall. He knew his friends would be worried about him and he wanted to assure them that he was fine.

"Before we go in, do you want to take Dreamless Sleep tonight?" Severus asked.

Harry hesitated. He wouldn't mind having some but not for the reason his Dad thought. He still got nightmares about the Dursley's but if he got used to taking Dreamless Sleep, his Dad would notice that he wanted to take it every night. "I think I'll be fine." He said finally. "I feel better, honest."

Severus nodded. "All right. If you need me during the night, do not hesitate to get Professor McGonagall to come and get me."

Harry stared at him horrified. "Are you mental?" He couldn't help blurting out.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Um," Harry looked up at his Dad sheepishly. "Sorry."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Honestly Harry, if you need me you should not be embarrassed to tell your Head of House."

Harry smirked a bit. "Honestly Dad, if you can't see how incredibly embarrassing, how utterly humiliating, how mortifying-"

"Yes, you've made your point." Severus interrupted him. Hmm, perhaps he should look into a way for Harry to be able to let him know that he needed him. He'd have to think on that. "Very well. But I am always here if you need me."

Harry smiled. "I know that Dad. And I appreciate it."

Severus and Harry entered the Great Hall and as soon as Harry sat down at the Gryffindors table, Hermione and Ron looked at him with worried expressions. "Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"They wouldn't let us stay with you at the infirmary." Ron added.

"Don't worry guys, I'm fine." Harry responded. "It's just…remember how on the train I heard a woman scream?" When his friends nodded he continued. "I heard more this time. It was my Mum." Harry said softly. "She was begging Voldemort not to kill me."

Hermione's eyes looked teary as she reached across the table and grabbed Harry's hand. "Oh Harry, that's awful."

"I'm sorry mate." Ron said with an unusually somber look on his face. He didn't even make an issue out of the use of Voldemort's name. Suddenly he narrowed his blue eyes behind Harry. "What do you want?"

Harry turned in his seat and saw Draco standing behind him, looking paler than usual. "Nothing. I'm just going to my table if that's okay with you." He said but instead of sounding conceited like he usually did, his voice was slightly shaky.

Theo and Millicent joined Draco, both with smirks on their faces. "So Pott-I mean Snape, you fainted again didn't you?" Theo stood next to Draco with a gleeful look. "You were seen being carried to the infirmary!"

"He will do anything for attention." Millicent said snidely.

"Excuse me but didn't Nott have to be carried to the infirmary by Hagrid? And you were awake." Hermione pointed out smugly.

Harry and Ron grinned as Theo glared. "I was hurt."

"Your arm was slightly hurt, not your legs." Harry snickered.

Theo's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. "You know, you don't deserve to be the son of our Head of House even if he is a traitor. I still think of you as a Potter anyway."

"Maybe we should combine the names?" Millicent suggested with a cruel grin. "Like Harry Snotter." Theo and Millicent began laughing hysterically.

Harry started to stand up in anger but Draco whirled around on his housemates. "You two really are stupid aren't you? Do you really think Professor Snape won't make you pay for doing that? Do you really think he won't hear about it and find out it was you? Come on between the two of you, you should at least have a full brain."

Ron snorted. "Doubt it."

Theo took a threatening step towards Draco. "Whose side are you on?"

Draco huffed. "The side where Slytherin doesn't lose any more points because of you two." He turned and walked to his table.

"You better watch yourself Snotter." Theo hissed, looking back at Harry.

"Actually you better watch yourself." Ron nodded towards the Head Table where Professor Snape was staring at them.

Theo scowled and without another word, headed to the Slytherin table with Millicent.

"Horrible slimy snakes." Ron muttered after them.

Harry shrugged and reached for some rolls. "I have enough going on without thinking about those two idiots."

"Malfoy was being sort of nice again." Hermione shook her head. "I don't get it. Normally he would have been the one goading you." Her voice was thoughtful.

"If only there was a book we could research about it." Ron sighed dramatically.

Harry chuckled as Hermione shot a dark look at Ron for his teasing. He took a few bites of his dinner when he noticed that Neville kept glancing over at him. He put down his fork and gave him a questioning look.

"I'm sorry about earlier today." Neville spoke quietly. "My boggart, I mean." He gave Harry an apologetic look.

"Right." Harry frowned. He was still upset about that actually. He didn't exactly blame Neville as he couldn't help what he feared but he hated that his Dad had been made to look like a fool. "My Dad is not mean. He's not like he was our first year." He said finally.

"He's better." Neville admitted. "But he still makes me nervous. I'm not good at potions and Professor Snape is such a perfectionist."

"Neville, he has to be." Hermione said gently. "Potions is a really dangerous subject. And he definitely is much fairer to us than he used to be."

Neville shrugged. "I know." He looked sheepishly at Harry. "I still think he's scary though."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. His Dad could come across as very intimating and not someone you would want to cross but Harry knew how caring his Dad was. It was too bad that not everyone could see that. However, Harry knew his Dad would ground him forever if he ruined his reputation and told everyone how kind and nice his he was. Harry grinned at the thought. "It's okay Neville. I understand."

Neville looked relieved and nodded before rejoining the conversation Dean and Seamus were having.

Harry leaned back in his chair. "What a crazy year this is starting out to be. And escaped murderer, Dementors, Trelawney predicting my death, already had a trip to the infirmary…"

"Sounds like a typical year so far mate." Ron said cheerfully, ducking his head when Harry threw a buttered roll at him.

"You heard about Professor Trelawney?" Hermione asked.

"Um, yeah." Harry said with a quick glance at Ron.

"You told him?" Hermione asked Ron exasperatedly.

"He would have heard about it eventually!" Ron defended himself.

"He's right. Someone was bound to mention it." Harry told her. "It's okay. I just don't get why she is talking about me when I'm not even taking her class."

"She is ridiculous that's why." Hermione said bluntly. "I doubt she actually _sees_ anything and knows that mentioning you will at least get her attention."

"Wow Hermione I never heard you speak so negatively about a Professor before." Ron commented.

"I'll give it a little more time but I have a feeling that I shouldn't have taken it." Hermione admitted. She took a sip of her water. "I take it there is still no news of Sirius Black?"

Harry shook his head and sighed. "Nope. And until he is caught, those Dementors are here to stay. My Dad did mention something about a charm to repel them though." Harry said as he vaguely remembered the conversation with his Dad before he had fallen asleep.

"The Patronus Charm." Hermione nodded. "I read all about it. It's very advanced though; there are adult witches and wizards that can't even do it."

"Oh." Harry responded. He doubted he would be able to master the Charm then. "My Dad just wants me to try, I guess."

"It will be amazing to be taught about that Charm either way." Hermione sighed. "I'm so jealous."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. His friends never failed to make him feel better just as his Dad never failed on making him feel safe and loved. With them by his side, he was sure he could face anything.

**HPHPHPHP**

A couple of days later Harry had just finished Quidditch practice for Gryffindors upcoming game against Hufflepuff when he saw that same stray dog standing at the edge of the forest, watching him. The Grim, Harry thought with a shiver.

"Hey Harry, are you coming?" Oliver Wood called as the rest of the team headed back to the castle.

"Um," Harry noticed Hagrid in front of his hut. "I'm going to visit Hagrid for a second. He can walk me back."

Oliver nodded. "Make sure he does." He had been instructed by Professor McGonagall that Harry was not to be left alone outside of the castle. He along with the prefects and Head Boy and Girl had been let on that Sirius Black was after Harry but they had been sworn to secrecy to not let anyone else know. "Great practice by the way Harry!"

Harry grinned in response and slowly approached the dog. "Hey boy." He said softly.

The dog wagged his tail.

"Or girl?" Harry took a step forward.

The dog growled which made Harry stop. "Boy, then." He relaxed when the dog began wagging his tail again. "I wonder what your name is. Are you lost?" He wondered out loud. He reached his hand slowly out and scratched the dog behind his ears. "Did you get separated from your family?"

The dog gave a whine.

"Come with me boy. I know someone who can help you." Harry walked over to Hagrid with the dog happily following him.

"Hagrid?"

"Arry! I saw yer practice, the team looks really good." Hagrid smiled. He then noticed the black dog standing next to Harry. "And who's this?"

"He's a stray. I think he may have been living in the forest." Harry said with a shrug. "I'm guessing he's lost, do you think you could help him find his family? He also needs food, he's really scrawny looking."

The dog gave an indignant bark.

Hagrid chuckled. "Sure, he can hang out with Fang while I ask around about him. Does he have a collar?"

"No." Harry answered after he checked. "I don't know his name."

"Hmm. I suppose we can make up a name until we know his true one." Hagrid suggested. "How about Fluffy?" He shared an amused look with Harry.

The dog sat down and sniffed showing his displeasure at that name.

"How about scrawny?" Harry laughed then yelped as the dog bit lightly at his leg. "I was kidding!"

The dog sat back down and sniffed again.

"Sniffles?" Hagrid suggested teasingly.

The dog tilted his head as if considering it and then gave a little whine.

Harry looked thoughtfully at the animal. He felt for it, he knew what it was like to feel alone and hungry. "Sniffy? Snuffles?"

The dog barked and wagged his tail.

"Snuffles it is." Harry decided. He watched as Hagrid introduced Snuffles to Fang and then fed them both. Snuffles ate hungrily. "Hagrid? Could you walk me back to the castle?"

"Sure 'Arry, no problem." Hagrid said. They were both amused when Snuffles followed them, running around them in circles and barking with excitement.

"If you can't find his family, I wonder if my Dad would let me keep him." Harry said hopefully.

"Yer can ask him. But wait until I see if I can find his home firs'." Hagrid said.

Harry nodded and looked at Snuffles who was still bounding around in excitement. He wanted Snuffles family to be found but if he had none, then he really hoped his Dad would let Harry keep him. After all, what problems could arise from having a dog?

**TBC: Reviews are very much appreciated! Hint, hint! =)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter! =)**

Harry stayed after potions class, wanting to discuss Hogsmeade with his Dad. Professor McGonagall had stopped him earlier and told him she hadn't received his permission slip and that she took that to mean Severus wouldn't be letting him go.

"It's understandable; I think it is best for you not to go. It's not worth the risk." Professor McGonagall had said kindly.

Harry had responded that he had not really talked to his Dad about it and that he was hoping he would get to go. His Head of House had merely given him a pitying look, as if she was sure Harry wouldn't be going. The field trip was tomorrow and Harry couldn't put off asking anymore, even though he was nervous about his Dad's answer. I have to try and be grown up about it. Even if he decides I shouldn't go, Harry told himself.

"Harry, are you coming? It's lunchtime." Ron said excitedly. He always got excited when food was involved.

"I'll meet you guys there. I want to ask my Dad about Hogsmeade." Harry responded, looking to where his Dad was answering some questions from one of his Slytherins.

Hermione looked surprised. "You don't know if you can go? I thought it was all settled since you hadn't said anything."

Ron looked horrified. "You have to go! It's Hogsmeade! There's a brilliant joke shop and candy shop and Butterbeer and…"

"I get it. I have been there before. Although I haven't tried the Butterbeer yet." Harry interrupted with a laugh. "My Dad never said I couldn't go, he just also never mentioned if I _could_ go."

Hermione was silent. "I guess it would make sense if you didn't. I mean a crowded place with a murderer after you…"

"No offense but that is not what I want my Dad thinking about when I ask him." Harry sighed, knowing that it would be exactly what his father would be thinking about. "Save me a spot at lunch okay?"

"Of course we will. But mate, you gotta convince your Dad to let you go. It wouldn't be the same without you." Ron said. He hesitated. "I guess we could always stay behind with you."

Harry couldn't help but smile at the forlorn look in Ron's eyes. "I wouldn't ask that of you mate." He assured him. His heart sank at the thought of being left behind, not that he would let his friends see his misery if it came to that.

"Harry, did you need something?" Severus asked from his desk where he was gathering the vials of potions they had made that day.

"Go eat. And Ron, try to save me a few bites of food." Harry joked.

Ron made a face and Hermione laughed as she pushed Ron out the door. "If only that wasn't a real concern." She teased.

Harry walked up to the front of the classroom and sat down in his Dad's chair.

Severus gazed at him from where he was filing the vials in his cupboard. "Comfortable are we?"

Harry nodded. "This is softer and roomier than the seats we sit in." He complained.

"Professor's have earned the right to be comfortable." Severus said as he stood next to Harry and leaned back on his desk. "Besides, if students had too comfortable of chairs they would probably fall asleep during class."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "We do that anyway." He broke into laughter at his Dad's frown. "Kidding." Well, actually it was true in Professor Binns class. "Um, I was wondering about Hogsmeade." Harry said, looking up at his tall Dad pleadingly. "Am I going to get to go?"

Severus took a deep breath. He had been thinking long and hard about this. Harry deserved to go of course, but was it worth the risk? It would be very easy for Black to overpower a few kids in a crowded village. "Yes, you get to go. But there is a stipulation."

Harry gave a loud whoop. "I get to go? Yes!" Suddenly he paused and looked at his Dad curiously. "What is the stipulation? I'll be careful."

"I know you will. But I'm not comfortable with you going on your own. There will be someone looking after you." Severus said. He decided to wait and tell him what he and Albus had planned. "Don't worry. You'll be with your friends and get to get loaded on junk food like the rest of the students."

"I'm not going to have an adult attached to me am I?" Harry asked hesitantly, not wanting to sound like he was complaining. At least he got to go.

"Hmm. Not exactly." Severus said absently. "Ready to go and eat?"

Harry nodded. He didn't know how he was going to be watched but figured it didn't matter as long as he got to go with his friends. "Yeah, let's go eat. Hopefully Ron left food on the table." He joked as they left the classroom.

"If there is not, you may join me at the Head Table." Severus said innocently.

"Merlin, no!" Harry breathed, horrified at the thought.

Severus smirked. "Might be a useful consequence if you get in trouble."

Harry stopped walking. "I think I just lost my appetite."

Severus rolled his eyes and put his arm around his child. "I am merely joking. I would never want to humiliate you son."

Harry relaxed and leaned into his Dad's side as they walked. "Thank you for letting me go to Hogsmeade. I promise I'll be careful."

"I know." Severus replied. I'll be making sure of it, he thought to himself.

"Maybe I can bring back a treat for Snuffles. And Fang, of course." Harry said thoughtfully as they approached the Great Hall.

"Perhaps." Severus said, hoping Hagrid put a lot of effort into finding the stray's owners. When Harry had told him about the dog he had panicked a bit inside because he really didn't want to think about taking on a pet when they had so much on their plate already. But Harry hadn't asked if he could keep it. Yet, anyway. Severus dismissed it from his mind as he had other things to think about, such as Harry's reaction to how he was going to handle the Hogsmeade trip.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed inside the castle as their peers' proceeded to leave and head to Hogsmeade.

"I wonder why I'm supposed to wait here." Harry sighed. "I hope my Dad didn't change his mind about letting me go to Hogsmeade."

"If he does, we'll stay with you remember?" Ron said, though his expression was showing how much he didn't want that to happen.

"That will not be necessary."

The trio turned to see an older teenage boy standing with Dumbledore. The boy was dressed in casual slacks and a white long-sleeved shirt. He had sandy brown hair and pale blue eyes.

Dumbledore gave a chuckle at his students' confused look. "Now, now Harry. Don't tell me you don't recognize your father?"

Harry stared at the blue eyed stranger who had a very familiar smirk on his face. "Dad?" He whispered.

Severus chuckled. "Yes. And you don't have to whisper, I cast a muffliato around us. This is my stipulation for you going to Hogsmeade. This way I know you're safe and you don't have to feel embarrassed to have an adult with you."

Harry kept staring. His Dad looked so different and was only a few years older than him now!

Severus frowned a bit. "I know going with a parent is not ideal but I promise not to get in the way of your fun. I just want to be with you in case Black shows up."

"No it's fine. It's just…you're a teenager!" Harry blurted out.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I look like one. Polyjuice, which I know the three of you are familiar with." Severus gave Harry and his friends a knowing look.

Hermione blushed and Ron's eyes couldn't get wider if he tried.

"Now, the story is that he is visiting Hogwarts to see if he is interested in transferring here. You and your friends offered to let him tag along with you." Dumbledore smiled brightly. "Hopefully though, no one really notices him and asks too many questions."

"What do we call you?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus narrowed his eyes in thought. "I forgot about that. Let's see…"

"Andrew." Dumbledore announced. "I've always like that name. I believe it means strong and brave."

"That's Dad alright." Harry smiled. "Oops, I mean Andrew."

"What is his last name?" Hermione asked.

Severus opened his mouth but once again Dumbledore beat him to it. "Cunningham."

Severus made a face. "Cunningham?"

Dumbledore shrugged, his blue eyes twinkling like mad. "You're also cunning when you need to be."

Harry, Ron and Hermione began laughing.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's get going."

Harry grinned to himself. Maybe not every kid would want to go on a field trip with their Dad, disguised or not, but he thought it was brilliant. He liked spending time with his Dad and thought this gesture was just another example of how much his Dad loved him. He knew spending the day in Hogsmeade surrounded by over excited students was not his father's idea of a good time.

"Have a good time." Dumbledore waved them off. "Oh, and if you think of it I could use more lemon drops."

Harry couldn't be sure but thought he heard his Dad mumble something about the Headmaster being an old coot under his breath. He tried to muffle a laugh but his Dad heard him and they shared an amused look.

**HPHPHPHP**

Hogsmeade was bright and bustling with excited students as well as witches' and wizards' who were spending the day there. Severus knew he had to act the part and kept a smile on his face while his eyes darted around looking for signs of danger. He also took the time to enjoy watching his son laugh and have fun with his friends.

"Zonko's first?" Ron asked eagerly. He gave a glance to his Professor. "I mean, um…"

"I would love to see Zonko's." Severus said smoothly.

"You've never been there?" Ron asked in surprise.

"No "Andrew" has never been there." Severus responded, only adding _you dunderhead_ in his mind.

"Oh, right." Ron said slowly.

"Hmm, which products should we buy to annoy our professors?" Harry asked cheerfully as they entered the busy shop.

"You'll want to be careful doing that, I once did and received detention for a whole month." Severus said lightly as he looked around with interest at the new products he would be sure to ban from his class.

Harry snorted at the warning. "We'll keep that in mind Andrew." He gave a playful punch to his Dad's shoulder like he did with Ron.

Severus narrowed his eyes for a moment and then snickered. He playfully punched back and then watched the Weasley twins run past with their arms full of products that they would surely torture everyone with. If they dared to try any of it in his class…

They spent almost an hour in the joke shop, trying the samples of the products and laughing at the results. Even "Andrew" was laughing and appearing to have fun. His Dad was really acting like a regular teenager. Harry didn't know if it was because his Dad really was enjoying himself or it appeared that way because of his Dad's spying abilities. Either way, Harry was having a blast.

Finally they made their purchases. Ron had several items such as whizzing worms, stink pellets, and hiccough sweets. His eyes had widened in surprise when he saw Hermione buying frog spawn soap. She shrugged in response to his look. "Lavender keeps stealing my good soap." She said in way of explanation.

Ron began snickering. "We really have been a bad influence on her." He shook his head at Harry.

Harry grinned and nodded. Severus simply rolled his eyes. He eyed his son's purchases suspiciously. "Dungbombs and a nose-biting teacup huh? Do you have big plans for those Harry?"

"Um…" Harry flushed. His Dad had been doing such a good job of playing a teenager he had momentarily forgotten that the older teen _was_ in fact his Dad.

"You could always place a Dungbomb in the Headmaster's office." Severus offered, hoping Harry would relax. He had no problems with Harry buying joke products. He was just happy to see his son having fun.

Harry's eyes brightened at the teasing. "He likes to drink tea too." Harry tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "So does my Dad. Do you think he would fall for it?" He dangled the Nose-Biting Teacup in front of his father's face.

"That would be priceless! If only you could have him drink it during Potions class!" Ron laughed. He suddenly stopped laughing as soon as he remembered his Professor was with them.

Before Severus could respond properly to the red-headed dunderhead the Weasley twins joined the conversation.

"Better not do that little brother-"

"It probably wouldn't be good for your health."

Fred and George smiled knowingly at Ron. "Trust us on that one."

Severus raised an eyebrow as he stood to the side as not to draw attention to himself. Okay, maybe the twins weren't that bad after all.

"Besides, the Snape's are family to us and Mum doesn't like us playing pranks on family." Fred said, throwing an arm around Harry.

"Doesn't stop you two." Ron grumbled, thinking of all the jokes his brothers have played on him.

"Yeah, well, we _like_ Harry." George winked at Harry and Hermione as they giggled. "And now Professor Snape is like our uncle."

Severus froze and stared at them in horror.

"Hmm…Uncle Severus? Uncle Sev?" Fred pondered. He shrugged. "Ask your Dad what he thinks."

"Yeah, and let him know we need some help on a few experiments we're working on." George added as he and his twin walked away, unaware that their Potion's Professor was about to hex them.

"They mean well." Harry said quickly when he saw the murderous expression on his Dad's face. The face may look different, but the expressions were the same.

"They're prats." Ron stated, glaring in the direction of the twins.

For the first time, Severus agreed with the youngest male Weasley. Uncle Sev indeed. Not going to happen, Severus thought indignantly.

"I wonder what experiments they are working on." Hermione said with concern in her voice.

"Who cares?" Ron responded with a shrug.

"There is no way I am helping them with their so called experiments." Severus hissed to Harry as they walked out of Zonko's. "When they get arrested for creating lethal joke products, I will not be a part of it."

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Okay Uncle Sev." He whispered.

"Don't even get me started on _that_." Severus gritted his teeth. He stealthily pulled out a small flask and took a sip of Polyjuice potion.

"Relax Da-I mean, Andrew. Look, Honeydukes!" Harry pointed to the popular sweet shop.

**HPHPHPHP**

Stepping inside Honeydukes, one couldn't help but be consumed by the aroma of chocolate, nougat, toffee and more. Shelves on shelves were filled with every sweet imaginable. Ron immediately grabbed a basket and began filling it while Hermione followed him, trying to stop him from buying out the shop.

"Mmm Treacle Fudge." Harry sighed happily at the large plate of perfectly cut squares. He glanced at his Dad. "Are you going to get anything?"

"I suppose I should, to keep my cover of course." Severus smirked as he went to pick out some Liquorice Wands and Crystallised Pineapple. The last time he had had these was when Harry had surprised him with some in his stocking last Christmas. He also remembered to pick up some lemon drops for Albus.

Hermione came back with an exasperated look on her face. "Ron is going to be on a sugar high for the rest of the year." She shook her head and stood in line with Harry and Severus, buying several sugar quills.

Harry had chosen several pieces of fudge as well as a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He began to laugh when he saw Ron join them in line. "Gee, sure you got enough mate?"

Ron looked down at his basket full of Chocoballs, Ice Mice, Pumpkin Pasties, and Toffees. "Hmm. I think I did." He said seriously.

Severus rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting on all the sugar the Weasley boy was buying. He wasn't here to act like a Professor or even a Father, but a fellow teenage student. Thankfully there hadn't been any sightings of Black, except for the posters that were hung up on store windows. It made Severus's heart clench whenever he caught sight of one, knowing that madman was after his child. "How about some lunch?" He suggested.

"The Three Broomsticks has Butterbeer." Ron said enthusiastically. "The twins sneaked me some before and it is really good."

They made their way to crowded pub and quickly found a table. Picking up a menu, Harry gave his Dad a sneaky grin. "I wonder what Firewhiskey tastes like."

Severus didn't look up from his own menu. "You'll be wondering that for several years."

Ron snickered as Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Are you ready to order?" A pretty, smiling lady asked. Her smile grew wider. "Hello Harry! First school Hogsmeade visit?"

"Yes Madame Rosmerta." Harry answered with a smile of his own. He and his Dad had come here several times and the owner of the pub had always been nice to him. "These are my friends Ron, Hermione, and Andrew."

"Very nice to meet all of you." Madame Rosmerta said. "What can I get for you?"

Hermione and Severus both ordered the soup and salad and Harry ordered chicken sandwiches with chips. Everyone but Severus ordered Butterbeer. "Coffee please." He said.

Madame Rosmerta frowned a bit. "Little young for coffee aren't you sweetie?"

Harry covered his mouth with his hand to conceal his laughter. "No Ma'am, I'm just the right age for coffee." Severus smiled winningly at her as he lightly kicked Harry under the table. Thankfully Madame Rosmerta turned her attention to Ron.

Ron stumbled a little over his order and his face flushed when Madame Rosmerta gave him a smile before leaving.

"Honestly Ronald." Hermione grumbled. "She's a little old for you don't you think?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ron glared at her as he blushed.

"Here you go!" Madame Rosmerta interrupted as she walked up a few minutes later and began putting plates of food and drinks in front of them. "Enjoy! And Harry, do tell your father hello for me."

Harry grinned at "Andrew." Severus ignored him in response.

Harry took a deep sip of his Butterbeer. It was so delicious! He eyed his Father's cup of coffee. "Want to add to the flavor?" He teased, pretending to pour some Butterbeer in the coffee mug.

"No I do not." Severus smirked and covered his mug with his hand.

"Enjoying ourselves are we?"

Harry groaned as Malfoy approached their table. And the day had been going so well!

**TBC: Next up is a confrontation with Malfoy and Nott, as well as finding the Gryffindor portrait slashed!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Draco had walked into the Three Broomsticks with Blaise and Pansy. He stopped at their table while waving to his friends to go find an empty one. He looked at the bags filled with sweets and joke products by Ron. "I'm surprised Weasley. You actually were able to buy some things. Your Father must be doing better at the ministry."

"Shut up you little…" Ron started to rise but was pulled back down by Hermione.

"Ignore him." Hermione told him.

Draco shrugged in response to Harry's glare. "I meant it as a good thing."

"Is there something you want Malfoy?" Harry asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Just saying hello. It's called being polite." Draco's eyes drifted to the teenager he didn't recognize. "Who are you?" He asked a little suspiciously.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Andrew Cunningham. And who are you?" He asked in the same snide tone Draco had used with him.

Draco stood a little taller. "Draco Malfoy." He said proudly.

"Malfoy? Are you a pure-blood?" Severus asked, inwardly smirking to himself.

"Of course I am!" Draco narrowed his eyes. "Do you even go to Hogwarts?"

"He's visiting." Hermione cut in smoothly. "The Headmaster asked us to show him around school and join us on our field trip. He may transfer here."

Harry couldn't help but feel mischievous. _Don't do it, don't do it_… "He'll probably be in Hufflepuff if he does transfer. Right Andrew? Isn't that what you said?" Harry's eyes were bright with mirth. "He's pretty excited about that. He loves badgers!"

Hermione choked on her salad and Ron stared at Harry in horror. Severus turned to his son and glared daggers at him. _The little rascal_, he seethed to himself. A Hufflepuff indeed!

Draco gave Severus a superior look. "Hmm, you must not be very intelligent or important if Hufflepuff is your goal. If it was me, I wouldn't even bother with Hogwarts if I was going to be a Hufflepuff." He suddenly looked thoughtful. "Or a Gryffindork."

"That's it." Ron picked up what was left of his chicken sandwich and threw it at the blonde Slytherin.

"Ugh!" Draco looked at his shirt that now carried bits of the sandwich. "Disgusting! Were you raised with manners at all?"

"Were you?" Severus asked the Slytherin sternly. As he was supposed to be an older teen, he figured he could be somewhat authoritative without completely blowing his cover.

Draco unknowingly shot his Head of House a dirty look as he brushed off his now soiled shirt. "You'll be lucky if I don't have my Father insist that your family replaces this shirt." He informed Ron.

"Go ahead." Ron shot back but his eyes showed a little worry. His family struggled with money and he was sure Malfoy's shirt cost a lot.

"Malfoy, can't you go bother someone else?" Harry shook his head.

"Fine. See if I'll try and be nice to you again." Draco snapped.

"That's being nice?" Ron looked at Hermione who shrugged in response.

"Look what we have here, Snotter and his little friends." Theo sauntered up to their table. "So Snotter, did you hear the news?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "You're transferring?"

Severus couldn't help but chuckle though he was moments away from assigning another detention to Theodore Nott.

"No." Theo crossed his arms. "My Dad is going to get Buckbeak executed!"

"What? Buckbeak didn't even do anything wrong! You did!" Harry practically shouted.

"Harry, calm down." Severus said quietly, his eyes on Theo. "Giving him a reaction is what he wants."

Draco threw a sneer in Nott's direction. "You mean your Father is _trying_ to get him executed. He has only so much influence in the ministry."

Theo ignored Draco and focused on Severus. "Who do you think you are?"

"Potential new student." Harry mumbled, still angry.

"Then you better learn who is important and who isn't." Theo hissed. "You're sitting here with a blood traitor, a mudblood and an even worse blood traitor whose Father is a coward!"

Severus pulled Harry back down into his chair when he jumped up to attack Nott. "Stop! You, Mr. Nott, are on very thin ice." Severus stood up and whispered. "Perhaps you should be on your way. Now!"

"How dare you talk to me like that you-"

"Nott, shove off! The rest of the Slytherins are ready to hex you if you lose Slytherin any more points or make our House of House look bad." Draco threatened.

Theo gave the group a very ugly look and continued on to his own table.

"He has just added to his detentions!" Severus sat back down, furious at his student. Oh, he would be having a talk with that boy. Suddenly he noticed Draco staring at him.

"Professor Snape?" Draco whispered.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy." Severus sighed. Well, this trip wasn't turning out like he had thought it would. "I would ask that you keep your silence on _Andrew's_ true identity."

"Yes sir." Draco gulped, rapidly trying to think of what he had been saying to his own Head of House. He winced internally when he remembered he had called him unimportant and unintelligent. He cleared his throat. "Why Hufflepuff?"

"Because my son has a cruel sense of humor." Severus responded. He raised an eyebrow when Harry began laughing. "Perhaps cutting up potion ingredients will cure him of it, however."

Harry stopped laughing and made a face. Some of the ingredients that had to be cut up were really disgusting.

"Perhaps you should join your friends Draco." Severus said smoothly. "And again, your discretion is appreciated."

Draco nodded and went to join Blaise and Pansy.

"Well, that was interesting." Hermione remarked.

"Nott is such a bloody-um…" Ron glanced at Severus.

"Prat?" Severus offered.

Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other and then began giggling. As Ron and Hermione fell into their regular argument about their familiars, Severus turned to his son. "How long has _Snotter _been going on?" He asked in a hard voice. He remembered all too well what it was like to be picked on and bullied. It made his heart hurt to think of Harry's first year when he had picked on him, before remembering that Harry was his son.

"The day the boggart incident happened in class." Harry admitted reluctantly. "It's no big deal. He and Bulstrode are the only ones that call me that and they don't even do it that much. Actually, Malfoy sort of stuck up for me that day." He added grudgingly.

"It is a big deal." Severus took a deep breath and took another sip of Polyjuice potion. He had to admit he was intrigued by the differences he was seeing and hearing with Draco. He would know more after he spoke with Lucius, which he still needed to arrange. "You don't have to deal with these issues alone Harry. I'm here to help you."

"I know, but I can't come crying to you over everything." Harry pointed out. "The big stuff yeah, but I can handle some name calling."

Severus bit back a sigh. Of course no teenager is going to want to complain to their parent every time they got picked on in school. Severus himself didn't speak up when he got bullied but that was mainly because he figured no Professor would care. He certainly had known that his own father wouldn't. "If it gets to be too much, then you come to me or your Head of House. There is only so much you should have to put up with Harry."

"Okay." Harry said easily. He knew he would try and handle any bullying on his own before ever going to his Dad. His Dad had enough to worry about and besides, Harry could handle Nott. It wasn't like he was alone either; he had his friends to back him up.

**HPHPHPHP**

After arriving back at the castle, Severus ducked into an empty classroom as the potion began to wear off. Ron and Hermione went ahead to Gryffindor Tower while Harry waited for his Dad.

"Did you have fun today?" Severus asked as he came back out of the room, back to his usual self.

"I had a great day. Thank you for letting me go." Harry said sincerely.

"Even though I went with you?" Severus asked curiously.

"I had fun with you." Harry grinned. "Did you have fun?"

Severus squeezed Harry's shoulder gently. "Yes, I did."

Suddenly they heard shrieking and Severus quickly went towards the shouts, making sure Harry was right by his side. They saw a group of students and Professors' standing at the top of the Gryffindor stairs. The Headmaster was there as well, a frown on his face.

"Move aside." Severus said in a loud voice as he and Harry made their way through the group of students standing on the stairs. "Headmaster?"

"The Fat Lady's portrait has been slashed." Dumbledore answered somberly, gesturing to the cut up portrait. There was no sign of the Fat Lady.

Severus tensed and moved closer to his son. "Where is she?"

"We're looking for her." Dumbledore said, his eyes scanning the walls.

"There!" Mr. Filch shouted and pointed across the stairwell to another portrait. They could see the Fat Lady peeking out at them with frightened eyes.

"My dear, who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked in concern.

"A madman he was! He demanded to be let in yet he did not have the password. He got so angry!" The Fat Lady shuddered. "It was Sirius Black!"

A gasp went through the crowd that had gathered and then the students began murmuring to themselves.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron rushed over to stand next to their friend, both with wide worried eyes.

"All students are to go directly to their dormitories and await further instructions." Dumbledore announced in a loud voice as he waved his wand over the slashed portrait to open it. The Gryffindor students began filing in.

"Harry, you stay in your tower. No excuses for leaving it unless Professor McGonagall, the Headmaster or I say otherwise all right?" Severus looked seriously into his son's eyes.

"I won't. I promise." Harry assured him, not wanting his Dad to know he was a little scared. He couldn't believe Black had gotten into the castle!

Harry went in with Ron and Hermione.

"How in the world could have Sirius Black have gotten into the castle undetected?" Hermione wondered out loud as the trio took their usual spot by the fireplace.

"No idea. I mean, there are the Dementors and all the adults in the castle are keeping a look out for him." Ron shook his head.

Harry sank back into the sofa and sighed. He remembered telling his Dad that Hogwarts was safe and he didn't need an escort everywhere he went. He had really believed that there was no way Sirius Black could get into the castle and now that he knew different, he felt vulnerable. If Black got in once he could get in again. And it wasn't just his own life he was worried about; he was worried about his Dad and friends. What if Black hurt them to get to him? Suddenly, the threat of Sirius Black finally felt real to Harry and he began to feel the same sense of fear that everyone else had been feeling.

**HPHPHPHP**

Professor McGonagall returned to the Tower a half hour later with a grim look on her face. "Attention Gryffindors. Tonight you will all be sleeping in the Great Hall along with all the other Houses. The Headmaster wants all the students in one room while the castle is searched."

"To search for Sirius Black?" Hermione clarified questionally with a worried glance to Harry.

"He's still in the castle?" Neville squeaked out.

"The Headmaster is sure he is not still in the castle but we want to take every precaution." Professor McGonagall assured her students. "Be ready for bed in ten minutes and I will lead you to the Great Hall. Sleeping bags will be provided."

Harry stayed where he was as everyone began going to their dorms to get ready for the night. He still couldn't believe this was happening. "Mr. Snape?"

Harry looked up and into the concerned eyes of his Head of House. "Yes Professor?"

She nodded towards the stairs. "Best get a move on. We'll be leaving soon." She gave him a sympathetic look. "It will be okay Mr. Snape."

Harry nodded and made his way to the dorms. He noticed Dean and Seamus appeared excited by the way they were talking, Neville looked scared and Ron was glaring at his dorm mates.

"Maybe Black is still in the castle and there will be a duel between him and the professors!" Dean said hopefully.

"That would be awesome!" Seamus agreed enthusiastically.

"Would you two shut up already?" Ron asked irritably. "You really think it would be amusing for a murderer who killed thirteen people at one time to go up against one of our professors?"

Seamus shrugged though Dean looked a little ashamed. Neville, on the other hand, looked like he was going to pass out from fear.

Harry rolled his eyes and quickly changed. "Ready?" He asked Ron. He looked at Neville who was practically shaking. "Coming with us?" He asked kindly.

Neville eagerly followed Harry and Ron, eager to get away from Dean and Seamus for the moment.

"Why are they so upset?" Dean wondered out loud as he and Seamus made their way downstairs.

Seamus shrugged. "Who knows? You'd think Black was after them personally or something."

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry was in his gold and maroon sleeping bag that had been provided by the Headmaster and was trying to fall asleep but having no luck. His mind wouldn't calm down enough for him to rest. How did Sirius Black get into the castle? And why was getting to Harry apparently worth the risk of getting caught by Dementors? Harry felt chilled to the bone at the thought and shuddered.

"Headmaster, did you find anything?"

Harry pretended to sleep as he heard Percy Weasley address Dumbledore and his Dad. Percy had been helping watch over the students as the Professors had checked the castle.

"No Mr. Weasley. Sirius Black is not in the castle anymore." Dumbledore answered in a weary voice. "Thank you for staying up Percy. You may go to bed now."

Severus waited for Percy to leave before speaking. "Headmaster, if Black got into the castle once he will be able to again. Especially if someone is helping him." He added ominously.

"Severus."

"You are aware that I have had my suspicions." Severus hissed. "How else could Black have broken in if he did not have help? That madman could have easily gotten to Harry!"

"I know that Severus." Dumbledore sighed. "We will be adding more security measures. For now, Sirius is gone. However my boy, I do not believe he has had help from anyone here in the castle." The tone of his voice was kind yet firm.

"Of course you don't." Severus muttered, his eyes falling on his son. He knew how highly Albus thought of the wolf. How highly he had thought of all the marauders, actually. They had been the golden boys in school back in Severus's day. "I'm thinking of moving Harry into our quarters until Black is caught." His perceptive eyes noticed Harry stiffen even as the child still pretended to sleep.

"I doubt that is necessary. As I said, we will increase security around the castle. Plus, Sirius got in and failed to get to Harry. He would also know by now that we are aware of him being here. It is unlikely he would try to break in again." Dumbledore said reasonably.

"You are acting like we are speaking about a sane man here." Severus countered. "Black is unstable and dangerous. My quarters are warded and heavily protected."

"I know. But I also know that you want Harry to have as normal of life as possible." Dumbledore pointed out. "If he gets moved into your quarters, all of his friends will wonder why. Right now, only a few know that Harry is the target of Sirius Black. If he moved out of Gryffindor, then everyone would know."

Severus crossed his arms and sighed heavily. He did want Harry to feel normal but the safety of his son was more important than that. "If there are any more signs that Black is even on the grounds of Hogwarts, I will move him out of the Tower."

Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "Of course Severus."

Harry had been listening to the conversation and had almost shot up at the mention of moving out of the Gryffindor Tower. Despite being nervous about Black finding him, he did not want to draw attention to himself by moving out. There was silence and Harry opened his eyes which immediately locked with the dark eyes of his Dad. Harry bit his lip apprehensively. Now his Dad knew he had been eavesdropping.

Severus gave his son a slightly disapproving look yet his eyes softened when he saw the worry in his son's eyes. He waved his wand and added another blanket over Harry, then giving his child a reassuring smile. "Go to sleep." He mouthed silently.

Harry nodded and closed his eyes, pulling the newly added blanket further over him. He felt warm and safe and was able to finally fall asleep, safe in the knowledge that his Dad was watching over him.

**TBC: If you can take a moment to review I would really appreciate it! =)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Harry hovered above the Quidditch pitch, eagerly watching the game as well as keeping an eye out for the snitch. Gryffindor was playing against Hufflepuff and the score was pretty close. Harry knew he needed to find it fast so they could win. He noticed the Hufflepuff seeker, Cedric Diggory, flying back and forth, almost like he was pacing, while looking out for the snitch.

It felt so good to be in the air, to feel free and like he didn't have anything to worry about except the game. After finding the portrait slashed he had been a bit on edge, although nothing like his Dad. Now not only was Harry not allowed to go anywhere alone, the Professor's had to walk their students to each class. It was like second year all over again. Harry really hoped Black was caught soon; he wanted to be able to simply relax and enjoy the year.

Suddenly a golden glint caught his eye and he zoomed forward on his broom in hot pursuit of the snitch. So close, he thought as he reached out his hand. As Harry got closer, he noticed it was getting dark and cold. That's weird, he thought. It had been a little chilly when they started but now it was getting to be freezing. Suddenly, almost as if sensing he was being watched, Harry looked up and froze almost for real. Dementors.

He wanted to try and fly away but it felt like he was a statue. He was so cold and so full of despair. "No." Harry whispered as he began to hear screaming.

"_Take Harry and run! He's here!"_

"_Not my baby!"_

"_Stand aside foolish girl!"_

"_No not Harry! Kill me instead but not Harry!"_

Harry felt himself falling but after hearing his mother he didn't even try to stay on his broom. He could hear her scream, a flash of green light and cruel high pitched laughter.

Harry vaguely heard shouts and screams, a dog barking, and then a bright light and Harry knew no more.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry began to regain consciousness and could hear voices around him though he could not manage to open his eyes yet.

"I want those creatures dismissed from Hogwarts!" Harry heard his Father snap, his voice full of anger.

"Severus, I can try but the ministry wants them here." Dumbledore said, though there was anger clear in his voice. "I assure you, I will do everything I can to make sure this does not happen again."

"They would have been drawn to the pitch because there were so many people and emotions to feed on." Another voice chimed in.

"Why, thank you _Professor_." Distaste was clear on the last word. "It's not like we could not have figured that out ourselves!"

"Severus, snapping at each other will not help anything." Dumbledore admonished.

Harry finally managed to open his eyes and they met worried black ones.

"Harry?"

"Dad?" Harry wanted to sit up but when he tried, his Dad shook his head and gently pushed him back down. "Wait Harry. Let's have Madame Pomfrey check you over again." He called for Poppy.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling Mr. Snape?" Poppy asked as she stepped in front of Severus to run several diagnostics on her patient.

Remembering what he had heard earlier, Harry shuddered. "Awful." He whispered. His eyes, full of sorrow, sought out his Dad.

Severus immediately moved closer to his son and grasped his hand. "It's okay. After we get some chocolate into you, you will feel better."

Poppy handed a bar over and Harry took it but didn't take a bite. "I heard more this time." He continued to whisper. "I heard James and Mum the night they were killed."

Remus sucked in his breath sharply while Dumbledore and Poppy looked on sadly. Severus carefully sat next to Harry and put his arm around him. "What did you hear son?"

"James was yelling for Mum to take me and run." Harry said softly, wiping away a tear that had escaped. "Mum begged Voldemort not to kill me and asked him to kill her instead. There was a flash of green light and Voldemort gave a horrible laugh." He could feel more tears gathering and didn't want anyone to see him cry so he buried his face in his Dad's shoulder.

Severus shut his eyes and held his son, rubbing circles on his back to help soothe him. "It's okay." He kept whispering over and over into Harry's ear. What could he say that would make Harry feel better after hearing something like that? "If I could take away all your pain, I would."

Harry nodded against his Dad. "I know you would."

Poppy cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. She was not one to get emotional; she kept a very businesslike behavior with her patients, though she cared deeply for all of them. But she could not help feel for this father and son and the pain they were going through. "You really should eat the chocolate. It will help a little."

Harry pulled back and broke off a piece and popped it into his mouth. He kept his eyes averted as he was feeling embarrassed at the way everyone was staring at him.

Severus could sense his son's discomfort. "I'd like to talk with Harry alone, if that is all right with all of you." He said in a soft but firm tone.

"I'll be in my office if you should need me." Poppy said.

Severus nodded and waited until the three of them had left. He turned back to his son and was grateful to see that Harry had managed a few bites of the chocolate and looked better, though his eyes were still filled with incredible sadness. "I'm so sorry Harry. I really wish I could do something to ease your pain somehow."

"You're here." Harry said simply. He was quiet for a moment. "I feel guilty about James. I tend to forget that he died because of me too."

"Not because of you, for you." Severus corrected gently. "James knew the risk he was taking when he did the memory charm. He wanted to help keep you and your Mum safe. I am forever grateful to him for his sacrifice, just as I am to Lily. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

Harry nodded though his eyes were still downcast.

"My heart nearly gave out when I saw you fall. I haven't checked, is my hair white?" Severus teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Harry raised his eyes to him and his lips turned a little upward. "Not really. A few silver streaks maybe."

"Hmm, that's not too bad then." Severus said in amusement.

"What happened when I fell? It felt like I slowed down." Harry was curious as the chocolate did its job and he didn't feel so cold and full of despair anymore.

"I slowed you down and cast a cushioning charm on the ground." Severus answered slowly, remembering the fear he had felt at seeing his son fall from such a great height. "Albus cast a charm that drew the Dementors away. It is what I am going to teach you in case you ever run into them again. We will start as soon as you feel ready."

"The Patronus Charm? I'm ready now!" Harry said eagerly, wanting to be able to protect himself.

Severus chuckled slightly. "Tomorrow we will start if you feel up to it. You've gone through enough for today."

"Okay. Oh, what happened with the game?" Harry suddenly asked.

Severus hesitated. "We can talk about that later. I'd like you to sleep in our quarters tonight, if you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't mind." Harry frowned. "What happened with the game? Did we lose because I fell?"

"Mr. Diggory caught the snitch before he realized you had fallen. He offered to do a rematch but Madame Hooch said it was a fair win." Severus told him. "It wasn't your fault."

Harry sighed. It _was_ his fault because he couldn't control himself whenever the Dementors came near him. But he did agree it was a fair win for Hufflepuff. "I hope no one is mad at me." He murmured. "Did you get my broom? Or maybe Ron did." He mused.

"Harry." Severus sighed as well. "Don't get upset but your broom flew into the Whomping Willow. It was torn apart and cannot be repaired."

"What?" Harry's eyes grew wide. "My broom is gone?"

"Better the broom than you." Severus said gently. "I will look into replacing it, all right?" He knew there was a new broomstick out in the stores and had already been planning to buy one to give Harry for Christmas. "Until I can you may use the school brooms. Unless you would want to borrow the broom my Grandfather used."

Harry's eyes brightened. "You still have it? What kind of broom was it?"

"The Comet 180. It was quite a fine broom in its day and should still be in good shape. I'll check the storage room at Spinners End for it." He would also make sure it was up to date on all safety and protective charms.

"Brilliant, thanks Dad." Harry gave a smile. That would be cool, to use the broom that his Grandfather had used when playing seeker for the Slytherin team.

"Are you hungry? It's past dinnertime." Severus stood up. "What would you like to eat?"

Harry carefully stood up, realized he felt fine and looked nonchalantly at his Dad. "Shepherd's pie might be good." He said casually.

"Hmm, and I suppose Treacle Tart might be good for dessert?"

Harry grinned. "Well, if that's what you want I'm amendable."

Severus rolled his eyes though his lips quirked upwards. "The cheekiness I put up with." He called out to Poppy that they were leaving and then headed out of the infirmary and ran straight into Ron and Hermione who were about to knock on the door.

Severus frowned. "I believe it is now past curfew." He pointed out.

Ron and Hermione looked at him nervously. "We wanted to see how Harry was doing." Hermione answered.

"Professor McGonagall only told us he was still in the infirmary and wouldn't be returning to our dorm tonight." Ron spoke up. He looked at Harry in concern. "You okay mate?"

"I'm okay. Are any of the Gryffindors mad about losing the game?" Harry asked nervously.

"Of course not! Everyone was just worried about you." Hermione assured him.

"Uh, did you hear about your broom?" Ron asked hesitantly.

Harry nodded. "Totally destroyed huh?"

"In pieces! Makes me realize how lucky we were last year when we landed in that blasted tree!" Ron exclaimed. He glanced at Severus. "Uh, I mean, that darn tree."

"Never mind Mr. Weasley." Severus interrupted. "You two need to return to your Tower now. You shouldn't be out without an adult." He cast Harry a look. "Stay in the infirmary while I walk them back all right?"

"Okay Dad. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Harry said, giving his friends a wave as they began to follow his dad down the hallway. He went back inside the infirmary to wait and was surprised when a minute later Draco entered. Draco looked surprised to see him as well.

"Mr. Malfoy, exactly why are you here?" Poppy asked when she noticed the blonde Slytherin. "You know students are not to be out alone."

"I know, but I need a Headache Potion." Draco complained. "Reading my History of Magic book always gives me one. They honestly need to update that text."

Poppy sighed and summoned the potion. "Here you are. Once Professor Snape gets back, I will walk you to your common room."

Draco downed the potion and handed Poppy the empty vial. "Thank you Madame Pomfrey." He said politely. After Poppy turned away to clean the vial, Draco looked at Harry. "So, you're up and about." Draco said casually.

Harry tensed, waiting for an insult. Was Draco going to show his true self now? "Great deduction skills you have."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "No need to be rude." He sniffed. "It's good you are up. You couldn't have been hurt that bad."

"Not physically." Harry muttered, thinking of what he had heard.

Draco paled a bit. "Oh, you heard her again?"

Harry looked at the blonde in shock. "How did you know that?" He asked in a low voice.

Draco hesitated. "I overheard you the other day talking to the weasel and mud- I mean, Weasley and Granger about it." He admitted.

"So are you going to go tell everyone about it?" Harry asked in a hard voice. "Because if you do – "

"No!" Draco exclaimed. He sighed. "I wouldn't. I can't even imagine hearing…" He trailed off and shrugged. "I know we're not exactly friends or anything but I won't tell."

"What are you up to?" Harry asked suspiciously. "You're being, well, sort of nice."

Draco made a face. "Don't say that out loud!" He hissed. "I don't want anyone thinking I've gone all Hufflepuff or something."

"Merlin forbid." Harry rolled his eyes. "So why are you being less Malfoy than usual?"

"Let's just say, Snape, that we are on the same side okay?" Draco responded.

Harry stared. "Uh, no we're not. You want Voldemort back and I don't!"

Draco winced. "Don't use his name! And I don't want him back. Neither do my parents. He tortures even his most loyal of followers. No one sane would want that!"

Harry's mouth fell open. Was this for real? "You're lying. You have to be." He said finally.

Draco's grey eyes flashed. "No, I'm not. Believe what you will, but my family does not want him to return. Well, except my Aunt Bella but she is…well…completely insane and in Azkaban."

Harry couldn't help but shudder a little at the thought of Azkaban. Being around all those Dementors all the time…he shook off the feeling. "It's hard for me to believe you." He said finally.

Draco shrugged. "It's the truth whether you believe it or not. I don't know how to prove it to you."

Harry suddenly had an idea. "I know. Your Dad has a lot of pull in the ministry right?"

"Of course he does." Draco said loftily. "He's a very important man." The pride in his father was evident in his voice.

And a right prat, Harry added silently. "Okay, so get him to convince Nott's parents to back off of Hagrid and Buckbeak."

"I don't know." Draco hedged. He didn't want anyone to think he cared about that oaf and his strange creature. He did have a reputation after all.

"Never mind. He probably couldn't do it anyway. Mr. Nott probably has more influence." Harry said with a shrug.

Draco's mouth dropped open. "Are you mental? Mr. Nott has no influence in the ministry! He is nothing there, unlike my father!" Draco insisted. "You just wait; he'll put a stop to the Nott's with a mere snap of his fingers!"

"Well, if you think he really could." Harry said doubtfully. Inside he was grinning.

Draco's eyes blazed. Everyone knew his father was an important man! "You'll see." He said smugly, already making plans to send his Dad an owl about the matter. A nagging thought plagued him that he had just been out Slytherin'ed by a Gryffindor but he shrugged it off. That was impossible.

"Mr. Malfoy, is there a reason you are here and not in your dormitory?" Severus asked as he walked into the infirmary. He eyed his student sternly.

"He came for a Headache Potion Severus." Poppy answered for Draco. "I'll walk him back to the dorms. You should get Harry some dinner and make sure he gets plenty of rest."

"Thank you Poppy." Severus put his hand on Harry's shoulder to guide him out. "Are you all right? Was Draco starting trouble?"

"No. Actually, I think he is going to be helpful." Harry answered with a grin. "I may have convinced him to have Mr. Malfoy help with the Buckbeak situation."

Severus raised an eyebrow as he let them into their quarters. "And how did you do that?"

"Um, by making it sound like I thought Mr. Nott had more influence at the ministry than Mr. Malfoy." Harry said with a cheeky smile.

Severus snorted. "That should do it. Not a bad idea son."

Harry beamed, feeling better at the thought that Buckbeak might be spared. He just hoped it worked!

**TBC: Please review if you get a chance! =)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Hope you enjoy! Please review if you get a chance! =)**

"The Patronus Charm is a positive force that acts like a shield against the Dementors. As you know, Dementor's will drain the happiness, hope and peace out of you. The Dementor, if it gets an opportunity, will reduce you to basically an empty shell where all you have is the worst experiences of your life." Severus began his lesson on the Patronus Charm to Harry. They were in their sitting room where Severus had moved aside the furniture to make room for the lesson.

"But it is really advanced right?" Harry asked uncertainly. "There is no way I'll be able to do it."

Severus frowned. "Not with that attitude you won't. You are bright and talented and I believe you are quite capable of at least conjuring an incorporeal Patronus and with enough practice a full corporeal Patronus."

Harry brightened at his Dad's words. "So what is the difference between an incorporeal and corporeal Patronus? Aren't they both effective?"

"They both are, though the incorporeal Patronus is to a lesser degree." Severus answered. "It will halt the Dementors, which allows you an opportunity to get away but it does not repel them like the corporeal Patronus does. An Incorporeal Patronus produces a vapour or smoke while a corporeal one will take the shape of a bright white translucent animal."

"Really? What is yours?" Harry asked curiously.

"It is a doe, the same as your Mother's." Severus said softly with a smile on his face. "To produce a Patronus, you need a very strong happy memory. As I knew Lily since we were nine, my happy memory was when we became best friends. Later it changed to when she agreed to be my wife." He looked into his son's eyes. "And now my happiest memory is being with your mother right after you were born and holding you in my arms for the first time."

Harry smiled slowly. He loved hearing things like this. "I wonder what my Patronus will be." He mused.

"Time will tell. Now, the incantation for the charm is Expecto Patronum." Severus said.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry repeated.

"Your happy thought must be incredibly strong and you need to hold on to that happy memory the whole time. Get your wand out." Severus instructed.

"Um, I'm not going to try it out on a real Dementor yet am I?" Harry asked nervously.

"No, of course not." Severus assured him. "This lesson is just in case you come into contact with a Dementor again although I am quite determined to not let that happen." He gestured towards a trunk in the corner of the room. "We will practice with a boggart."

Harry nodded and his face paled slightly. He really didn't want to hear his Mum screaming again. It was too painful.

"Harry, I will be here the whole time." Severus said quietly. He could tell his son was feeling apprehensive and he did not blame him. "Are you ready?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I'm ready Dad."

Severus opened the trunk and slowly a Dementor floated out and headed for Harry. Harry tried to think of all his happy memoires at once, getting his Hogwarts letter, flying a broom for the first time, finding out he had a Dad…but his mind couldn't hold onto just one happy thought and he was once again overcome with feelings of despair.

Severus saw this and quickly banished the boggart back into the trunk. He was glad Harry didn't see the form his boggart had started to take as it was Harry's dead body. He had already had one fear realized when he lost Lily, he wasn't going to let that happen again with his son. "Here Harry." He said gently, holding out a piece of chocolate.

Harry took the offered chocolate and sat down in his Dad's armchair. After taking a bite he immediately felt better. "Thanks." He muttered, feeling embarrassed.

Severus noticed and knelt down in front of his son. "Harry, you knew this would be difficult. It is a hard spell even for adults so do not get discouraged. What memory did you use?"

"I figured if I thought about several happy moments then I would have a better chance." Harry answered ruefully.

Severus sighed and patted him on the knee. "No Harry. It needs to be one very strong happy memory. It is too easy to be distracted when you try to think of several. Let me know when you want to try again okay?"

Harry nodded. The happiest memory he had was hands down when his Dad came and got him from the Dursley's. Nothing could top the memory of when his Dad had claimed him as his son and protected him from his horrible relatives. "I'm ready." He said in a determined voice. He stood up and pointed his wand at the trunk. He gave a nod to his Dad.

Severus opened the trunk and as before, a Dementor began floating towards Harry.

Harry concentrated on his happy memory with all of his might. "Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery wisp came out of his wand and it took all of Harry's strength to push back the boggart into the trunk where his Dad quickly closed the lid on it. "Harry that was wonderful!" Severus exclaimed as he went to his son. Harry had collapsed back into the chair in exhaustion though he had a grin on his face. "I did it right? Well, sort of. There was no actual shape was there?"

Severus handed him another piece of chocolate. "No, there wasn't. But you produced an incorporeal Patronus which is quite amazing for your age, not to mention your second try. I'm very proud of you."

Harry glowed under the praise. "Thanks Dad! I feel so tired now though."

Severus nodded and began moving the furniture back to where it had been with a flick of his wand. "Yes, you exhausted your magical core which is why we will end our lesson for today." He smirked when Harry let out a startled yelp as the chair he was sitting in lifted up and began moving.

"Hey!" Harry laughed as the chair settled back into its proper spot. He took another bite of chocolate and jumped up. "Can I go meet with Ron and Hermione?"

"I don't know, can you?" Severus countered.

Harry suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. _Parents_, he thought. "May I Father?" He asked with exaggerated politeness.

"Why, yes you may son." Severus ruffled his son's hair as he walked by. "I will be working in my lab for the next couple of hours. No leaving the castle unless an adult is there with you."

This time Harry did roll his eyes, though his Dad's back was turned thankfully. "I know. Usually if we want to be outside Hagrid watches us. But I think we are going to do some research in the library in case Malfoy can't get his Dad to stop the ministry from going after Buckbeak. Hagrid is terrified that they will execute him."

"You're a good friend to Hagrid." Severus said. "I hope it all works out for him."

"Me too." Harry sighed.

**HPHPHPHP**

In the library, Hermione had set out three large books on magical creatures and their rights, ministry hearings, and previous cases against animals. She told Ron and Harry to write down anything that might be helpful. They had been at it for almost an hour before Harry pushed his book away and rubbed his eyes. "The words are starting to look like they are swimming on the pages."

"We need a break." Ron agreed, putting down his quill.

"No we don't. We've practically only just started." Hermione scolded quietly. "Do you want to help Hagrid or not?" She bushed her bushy hair back and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She didn't notice Ron and Harry exchange a look as they had been noticing that she had been spreading herself pretty thin lately.

"Of course we want to help but these have to be the biggest books with the smallest writing ever." Ron complained. "I don't want to overwork my brain."

"I doubt that's possible Ronald." Hermione muttered, causing Harry to laugh and Ron to glare at her.

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you to be witty Granger." A voice drawled lazily.

The trio looked up and saw Draco standing by their table, a book in his hands. He smirked at them as he walked over to Madame Pince to hand in the book he had checked out. When he passed by their table again, he caught sight of the books they were looking at.

"Why are you reading those? The ministry is not going to kill that annoying creature." Draco said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, you mean because of your Father's influence?" Ron rolled his eyes. Harry had told him and Hermione about getting Malfoy to help with Buckbeak's case but he doubted it would work.

"Yes." Draco said with an air of superiority. "My Father is one of the most influential people in the ministry. Of course they will listen to him."

"We'll believe it when we see it. As of now, Buckbeak is still in danger of being executed and we need to be able to stop it." Harry said, pulling the book he had been reading back towards him.

"I don't get it, why do you care so much about a hippogriff?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Buckbeak is innocent and shouldn't be punished for something he didn't do." Hermione said as she copied down some information from the book she was reading.

"Especially since Nott is just being a spoiled brat about it." Ron added and he gave Draco a stare. "Of course, I'm surprised you are not siding with him since you are just as spoiled and-"

"Hagrid is our friend." Harry interrupted, not wanting a fight to break out. "We want to help him because we care about him and losing Buckbeak would devastate him."

"Oh." Draco said uncomfortably. It wasn't like he didn't have friends himself. Well, in the case of Crabbe and Goyle minions was probably a better term for it. He did have Blaise and Pansy as friends though he wondered if they would ever show the same type of loyalty and devotion Granger and Weasley and Potter showed each other or even that the trio were showing the Groundskeeper. "You're wasting your time. I wrote to my Father and expect to hear back from him soon." He said finally.

"Let's just hope Mr. Malfoy has the influence you say he does." Hermione sighed as she scribbled on her parchment. "If they do decide to go after Buckbeak, I fear there isn't much we can do."

Draco scowled. "You are underestimating the influence of my family."

Harry shared a secret grin with Ron. "I guess we'll see pretty soon huh?" He asked innocently.

Draco turned and stalked away with a loud huff, causing the three Gryffindors to giggle after he had left.

**HPHPHPHP**

After they had finished researching Buckbeak's case, Harry and Ron wanted to go outside and get some fresh air but Hermione insisted that she needed to stay in the library and get some studying done.

"Geez Hermione, it's like you are taking every class Hogwarts offers." Ron complained. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Hermione answered, though she wouldn't look at him. "The classes are really challenging this year, that's all."

Harry looked at her suspiciously but ended up shrugging it off when Ron practically pulled him out of the library.

"Err Ron; I have to have an adult if I'm going to be outside." Harry said, his tone laced with annoyance and embarrassment. Since there had been no more signs of Sirius Black after the portrait issue, Harry figured Black wouldn't even bother trying to get back in.

Ron looked unconcerned. "We'll go visit Hagrid. He's an adult. I mean, surely you don't need someone to walk you down to Hagrid's hut right?" He straightened up. "After all, I'm here! If anyone tries anything I'll make them eat slugs!"

Harry snickered. "Yes, that worked out so well for you last year." Wavering only a moment, he began down the trail to Hagrid's.

"That happened only because I had a broken wand!" Ron said indignantly as he followed.

Harry stopped suddenly when he saw through Hagrid's window that he already had guests. "Oh. I guess we should go back, he has company."

Ron stretched his neck to see. "It's Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout! They look pretty serious."

Harry had turned to go back to the castle but stopped. "What if they are talking about Sirius Black? Maybe we can find out something?"

"Isn't your Dad keeping you up-to-date?" Ron asked.

"Yeah but maybe there is something new? Or information my Dad doesn't think is important but that I should know?" Harry crept closer to the hut and stood under the window which was thankfully open enough for them to hear.

"This has been such a stressful time for our students." Professor Sprout sighed as she took a sip of the tea Hagrid had given her. "My poor puffs have been so nervous since Sirius Black found a way to enter the castle."

"It is the same with my Ravenclaws, though they deal with it by sharing different theories." Professor Flitwick said somewhat fondly.

"I wish I had run into Black when he was in the castle. I would have pounded him into dust!" Hagrid seethed. "When I think of what he did…and after James and Lily died I comforted that betraying sod!" Hagrid slammed his meaty hand onto the table.

"Calm down Hagrid." Professor Sprout said gently.

"We were all fooled by Sirius Black." Professor Flitwick added. "Especially considering how James and Lily trusted him."

"If only he hadn't been made their Secret Keeper." Professor Sprout sighed. "But of course they trusted him. He was like a brother to James."

Outside Harry gave Ron a confused look. "Secret keeper?" He mouthed. He didn't think he had heard that term before. Ron's eyes had widened and he just shook his head.

"If I hadn't already received orders from Dumbledore to take little Harry to the Dursley's, I would have given him to Black." Hagrid said miserably. "I thought he had come for Harry because he cared, not because he wanted to finish You-Know-Who's job!"

"I would have done the same thing Hagrid. After all, Sirius is Harry's godfather. Or was." Professor Flitwick said thoughtfully. "Now that we know Severus is Harry's father, I don't know that Sirius would still be Harry's godfather. Not that it really matters as Sirius is a criminal who will hopefully be caught soon and sent back to Azkaban."

"Poor Harry and Severus." Professor Sprout said sadly. "They have both been through so much."

"They're strong, they'll be fine." Professor Flitwick assured her. "Especially as they have each other now."

Harry slowly backed away from the hut and started towards the castle. He stopped halfway there. "I knew Black was my Mum and James friend. And my Dad mentioned that he had betrayed their location to Voldemort." Harry said slowly.

Ron flinched at the name but nodded. "The secret is hidden inside whoever is chosen to be the Secret-Keeper. No one can find out the secret unless the keeper chooses to tell it." Ron shook his head. "Blimey Harry, why didn't you mention that Black was your godfather?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I didn't know." He said shortly. "My Dad never told me that. It makes it worse you know? That they trusted him so much to make him my godfather and he betrayed them." Harry became angry. He had never really let it in, the betrayal his Mum and James must have felt knowing their best friend had given their location to Voldemort. "I hate him! I want to hurt Sirius Black for what he did!" He didn't see that Snuffles had come up behind him and froze at Harry's words.

Ron bit his lip, also not seeing the black dog. "Calm down mate. They'll catch him yeah? And then everything will be okay."

"Maybe we should try to find him ourselves." Harry began pacing, still not noticing that Snuffles was staring at him with wide eyes. "I just-I just want to hex him into oblivion!"

Snuffles lowered his head and backed away from the boys, returning to the forest before either of the teenagers saw him.

**TBC:**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Father/son angst coming up. It won't last too long though =)**

Severus had just come out of his lab when he heard a knock on his door. He was surprised to open it and find Minerva and Harry. "Is something wrong?" He asked in concern.

Harry just shrugged and moved past him, flopping down on the sofa with his arms crossed.

Severus looked at Minerva with a raised eyebrow.

"I found Harry and Ron outside by themselves. I know you don't want him out without an adult so I brought him here." Minerva said quietly. "He also appears to be upset about something, though he wouldn't tell me what was wrong."

"Hagrid wasn't with them?" Severus asked with a frown.

"No." Minerva answered. "They were halfway down the path and Harry was pacing a lot. I hope he is okay." She said in a concerned voice.

Severus nodded. "Thank you for bringing him to me." After Minerva left, he shut the door and went to stand in front of his son. "What is wrong? I thought you were in the library."

"I was but then Ron and I went to visit Hagrid." Harry mumbled.

Severus let out an exasperated sigh. "Then why was Hagrid not with you? He would have walked you and Ron back to the castle."

"He didn't know we were out there. He had guests." Harry answered, staring blankly at the wall.

"So you were outside without an adult the whole time?" Severus looked at Harry sternly. "You know the rules Harry."

Harry glared at his Dad. "I don't care about the rules! You never told me the truth!"

Severus stiffened. "Watch your tone young man." He warned. "What truth did I not tell you?"

"That Sirius Black is my godfather." Harry spat. He felt angry, confused, and scared. It made it more personal somehow that Black was after him, after his own godson.

Severus stared at him in surprise. "Where did you hear that?" He asked finally.

"Hagrid was talking to Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout about him and mentioned it." Harry admitted. He knew he wasn't coming across to good with being outside without an adult and eavesdropping.

"I see." Severus said slowly. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that eavesdropping is wrong and very rude."

"They didn't see us." Harry protested. "I just wanted to know if they were talking about Black and if anything new had come up."

"So you went to his hut to deliberately eavesdrop?" Severus narrowed his eyes. "I keep you up-to-date Harry, on the things you should be aware of."

"I shouldn't be aware that Sirius Black is my godfather?" Harry asked with a sarcastic tone. He lowered his eyes at his Dad's disapproving look.

"Perhaps I should have told you but the truth is he is not your godfather." Severus said curtly. "James Potter would have chosen Black because he trusted him but as he was not your biological father, it is void. I will choose your godparents."

"Oh. So he doesn't have any rights to me or anything?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"No of course not." Severus assured him, understanding why Harry was so upset. "Even if he wasn't a convict, he wouldn't have any legal rights to you. Parents appoint godparents so that if anything happens to them, their child has someone they trust who will take care of him or her. But the godparents only get custody if it is in the parents will. Sometimes parents appoint several godparents and they are considered to be like family. But Harry, your mother and I would have never have appointed Sirius Black. Unfortunately, the people who we would have appointed are now unable to do so."

"Who would it have been?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus hesitated. It would be hard to explain and Neville may not want any of his friends to know what had happened to his parents. "I will tell you when you are older. They are not exactly around anymore."

"Oh." Harry was confused but let it go. "So do you think Sirius Black knows you are my Dad? Does he still think I am his godson?"

"I don't know." Severus said honestly. "Since he escaped, he may have seen the papers or heard about it. Also if he sees you he would know, since you don't look like James anymore. Not that any of those things matter. He is not getting close to you."

"He probably wouldn't care anyway, since he just wants to kill me." Harry sighed. He bit his lip. "I'm sorry I was rude to you. I was taken off guard."

Severus sat down next to him. "Understandable. However, you should not have stayed outside without an adult. I don't care if you don't agree with my rule, it is important that you still follow it. I need to be able to trust you, understand? And eavesdropping is wrong, I know you know that."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry." He offered timidly. Now that he wasn't angry anymore, he felt apprehension for his actions.

"Accepted. However, perhaps spending time with me in my lab cleaning some cauldrons would give us a chance to review the rules and our manners." Severus smirked and stood up, holding out his hand to Harry.

Harry ruefully took it and let his Dad pull him up. "You just use me for free manual labor." He pretended to grumble. Even though he knew he would likely still get a lecture as they cleaned together, he felt better knowing that his Dad wasn't that mad at him.

"A benefit to having children." Severus chuckled as they made their way to the lab.

"And assigning students detention." Harry joked.

"Ahh, yes that too." Severus gently pushed Harry ahead of him into the lab. He suppressed a grin when he saw the look on his son's face as he noticed the extra dirty cauldrons sitting on the counter. He supposed his son's slight disobedience had come in handy.

"Cruel and unusual Dad." Harry made a face as he grabbed the first cauldron which was coated with dried potion remnants.

"Start cleaning son." Severus said cheerfully as he stood next to Harry. "I'll dry." He laughed when Harry scowled.

**HPHPHPHP**

A few days later Harry was eating breakfast with his House in the Great Hall when a swarm of owls flew in to deliver the mail. Harry didn't pay much attention as he was talking to his friends so he was startled when an owl he didn't recognize dropped a long shaped object wrapped in gold onto his lap.

"You got an early Christmas present?" Ron asked as he looked at the gift. His eyes widened. "You know what it is shaped like? A broom!"

"Who is it from?" Hermione asked curiously.

Harry shrugged. "There's no note." He ripped the gold paper off and gaped at what he saw. A Firebolt! "No way!" He had already been practicing with his Grandfather's broom and though it was old, it was still pretty brilliant and flew extremely well. But this, this was the most amazing broom out there!

"It's a Firebolt!" Ron's eyes grew impossibly wide. He reached out a hand slowly. "Can I touch it?"

Harry laughed and handed the broom so Ron could hold it.

"Wow." Ron breathed, looking at the broom reverently. The rest of their classmates had moved closer and were whispering while examining the beautiful broom.

Harry couldn't stop beaming and looked over at the Head Table to see his Dad's reaction. His Dad was getting up and heading over to the Gryffindor table.

"Who sent you the Firebolt Harry?" Severus asked and his tone was slightly perplexed. When he had seen Harry unwrap the broom he had immediately looked to Albus, Minerva and Lupin as they were the only ones he could imagine getting Harry such a gift. All three of them had shaken their heads to his questioning look. Severus had been planning on getting Harry a Firebolt for Christmas but had not placed his order yet.

"I don't know Dad, there was no note." Harry said absently as he took the broom back from Ron. Students from other Houses had gotten up and moved closer to their table

Severus narrowed his eyes. No note? Who would send such an expensive gift without sending a note as well? He didn't like where his thoughts were taking him. He went back to the Head Table and took his seat.

"Severus? Who gave Harry the Firebolt? It is quite an extravagant gift." Dumbledore commented.

"There was no note sent with it." Severus said in a low voice.

"No note? That is somewhat…odd." Minerva frowned. Her eyes widened somewhat. "You don't think…" She trailed off but she didn't need to finish. Severus knew what she was thinking. And by the worried looks on his colleagues' faces he knew that he wasn't the only one who was concerned that perhaps the Firebolt had been sent for some other reason than Harry's enjoyment. Perhaps it had been sent by someone who wished his son harm.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Dad, can you believe it? I actually got a firebolt!" Harry beamed, holding out the amazing new broom. He couldn't wait to try it out after classes were finished. He had been summoned to his Dad's office right after lunch and figured his Dad wanted to put the broom somewhere safe as Harry had been carrying it to his morning classes and had had a hard time concentrating as he couldn't take his eyes off the Firebolt.

"Yes, I know." Severus said slowly, standing up from his desk. He had talked the issue over with Albus and Minerva and had come to a decision he knew his son would not like. "Harry." There was a twinge of regret in his tone.

"It's the best broom out there!" Harry continued, oblivious to the frown on his Father's face. "I know I shouldn't have been taking it to classes with me but I didn't want to let it out of my sight!"

"Harry." Severus said a little more firmly.

Harry looked up, finally aware that his Dad didn't look happy for him. "What's wrong?"

"We don't know who sent you that broom. After you told me that there was no note, I asked the staff and no one here sent it to you. Therefore…" Severus took a deep breath. "I need to take the broom and have it thoroughly looked over to make sure it has not been tampered with."

"What? No way! You can't take it!" Harry held the broom closer to him. Was his Dad mental?

"Harry, you will get it back once I am sure it is safe." Severus said patiently. "Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick need to inspect it for any Dark Magic that may have been embedded in it."

Harry couldn't help rolling his eyes at that. "How long will that take?" Harry asked, still holding his broom protectively.

"It could take several weeks." Severus admitted. To do a true in-depth check of the broom, it needed to be stripped down and it would take awhile to make sure the Firebolt was indeed safe.

Harry's mouth dropped open. Weeks? He hadn't even ridden it yet! He needed to practice with it so that he was ready for the next Quidditch game! How could his Dad do this? "No."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't take it. The broom is fine!" Harry backed away a few steps, looking defiantly at his Dad. This wasn't fair!

Severus eyes darkened slightly. While he knew Harry would be upset and understandably so, that did not mean he would tolerate blatant disrespect. "Watch how you talk to me Harry." He warned in a low voice.

Harry was too upset to realize how he was speaking to his father. "The broom was given to me as a present. You can't just take it. I won't let you!" Harry turned to leave, the Firebolt tight in his hand.

"Accio Firebolt!"

The broom suddenly flew from Harry's hands and to his Dad's. Harry spun around and glared at him. "Hey! You're not being fair!"

"No, _you_ are not being fair." Severus shot back. "You have been given a very expensive broom from who knows who and you only have to wait a few more weeks for it. Most students will never even receive such a broom! Never mind that you are not taking your safety into consideration at all and for what? A broomstick. What if Sirius Black sent this as a way to hurt you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. Right, Sirius Black somehow managed to buy him a Firebolt.

"Roll your eyes at me again and I may spell them to continue rolling for the rest of the day!" Severus threatened, though he would never actually do that.

Harry huffed but refrained from anymore eye rolling.

"I understand that you are disappointed and upset but that does not give you the right to talk to me this way." Severus said firmly. "The attitude stops now. The broom will be checked out thoroughly no matter how long it takes. In fact, you will be lucky if I let you have it back at all if you keep this up."

Harry's green eyes widened. He opened his mouth to argue more but stopped at the warning look at his Dad's face. He looked away. "Fine, take it then." He muttered. "You know, you're being a-" He stopped before he said something that would get him grounded for the rest of his life.

Severus gritted his teeth. "Go to class Harry. After your classes are done you are to go to your dormitory where you are restricted for the rest of the day, except for dinner. You also will give me three hundred lines due before breakfast tomorrow. I want you to write, I will speak to my Father with respect and refrain from throwing a tantrum like a two year old when I do not get my way."

"On top of my homework? That will take me all night!" Harry protested.

"Too bad." Severus responded without sympathy. "If you start as soon as your classes are done, you should have plenty of time. Now go and I will see you in class later."

Harry turned and walked off without saying anything, still feeling furious with his Dad and thinking the whole thing was unfair. What had started out to be a great day had ended being anything but great. His broom had been taken away, he was being punished, and he was in a fight with his Dad merely days before Christmas. Just great.

**TBC: Please review if you get a chance! I know Harry is being a brat but he is a teenager and sometimes, well, they are brats. Lol And we know Severus is overprotective, he can't help it. He already missed so much time of Harry's childhood and he just wants him safe. Please be patient with both of them! =)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! I love reading them! =)**

"He took away the firebolt?" Ron asked in horror.

Harry nodded glumly. It was dinnertime, not that Harry was particularly hungry. He hadn't talked much to his friends in the afternoon classes and during potions he had hardly even looked at his Dad. Unfortunately for the rest of his peers, the tension in that room could be noticed by everyone. His Dad had had them work in silence and by themselves, only giving a quick lecture and assigning a new essay.

"You have to get it back!" Ron said determinedly. "Have McGonagall talk to him. She will want you to have the best broom in the world right?"

"I think she will side with Professor Snape and be more concerned about Harry's safety." Hermione put in. She sighed when the boys glared at her. "What if Sirius Black _did_ send it to you Harry? What if he jinxed it?"

"Ridiculous." Ron scoffed.

"Maybe, but isn't it better to be sure?" Hermione pressed. She looked at Harry. "Professor Snape just wants to protect you."

"You mean overprotect me." Harry mumbled, not ready to let go of his anger.

Ron nodded in agreement while Hermione shook her head. "I think it is a smart idea to have the Firebolt checked out. We don't know who sent it and -" Hermione began.

"Geez Hermione! I've already heard all of that!" Harry snapped. He immediately felt a wave of guilt rush through him when he saw the hurt look on his friend's face. "Hermione…"

"I'll see you later." Hermione said quietly as she rose from the table and left.

Ron snorted. "Good riddance. Honestly, it's like she thinks she's a Professor herself with all the lecturing she does. She can be so bossy too. First with her bloody cat and now the Firebolt."

"Yeah." Harry said uneasily. He knew he shouldn't have blown up at his friend like that; she was just trying to help. He glanced to the Head Table and saw his Father in conversation with McGonagall. There goes my chance of getting her on my side, he thought sourly as he saw McGonagall nod to whatever his Dad was saying. He didn't realize he was glaring at them until his Dad caught his eye and gave him a warning look.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus let out a frustrated breath as Harry turned his face away in anger. He did not like being at odds with his son yet he was not going to give in about this issue. Harry's safety was too important.

"I see he is still upset." Minerva said with a slight smile.

"I assume he will be for awhile, maybe even until he gets the Firebolt back." Severus sighed.

"Hang in there Severus. You're doing the right thing. I would have confiscated the broom myself if you hadn't already done so. It is too suspicious that Harry got a Firebolt out of the blue like that. I can't even think of who could have sent it to him." Minerva said in a slightly worried tone.

"Neither can I. I already asked everyone on staff but…do you think someone here sent it and just wishes to stay anonymous?" Severus hoped that would end up being the case.

Minerva shook her head. "No, I'm sure all of our colleagues would have admitted to it when you directly asked them."

Severus nodded. Minerva was most likely correct. The broom would have to be carefully checked and that would take time. Harry would simply have to accept it.

**HPHPHPHP **

Harry spent the evening in the Gryffindor common room working on his homework as well as his lines. It was taking forever and Harry's temper flared when he began the lines his Father had set. He still didn't think it was fair. He had a right to be upset and he was being punished for it! The fact that he had been completely rude and had almost called his Dad a bad name conveniently escaped his mind for the moment.

"Hey mate, want to play some chess?" Ron asked, plopping down next to Harry with the game board under his arm.

"I still have to start my potion's essay and do the lines my Dad assigned me." Harry grumbled.

Ron shrugged. "The essay is not due for two days. Do it tomorrow, that's what I am doing."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Harry said with a nod. Thinking about potions made him think about the fight with his Dad so ignoring the essay for now sounded like a good plan to him. "Let's play. I'll do the lines a little later."

Hermione, who was sitting across from them doing her own homework, cleared her throat disapprovingly. She didn't say anything though, and both boy's ignored her.

The boys got so engrossed in their game that before they knew it, Percy was telling them to go to bed.

"It's late." Percy informed them.

Harry looked around and was shocked to see that the common room was basically empty except for a few students who were gathering up their books. "My lines! I've barely even started them!" He said after Percy had walked away.

"Oops. Um, I could help you write them." Ron offered as he cleaned up the chess board.

"Thanks but my Dad knows my handwriting." Harry sighed. He got out several sheets of parchment. "I'll just stay down here and do them."

Ron looked guilty. "Sorry. I shouldn't have suggested playing chess."

Harry shrugged. "It was fun. Besides, these lines are unfair. I shouldn't even have to do them." He began to feel angry all over again. Everyone had been asking about his broom and agreed that it wasn't right that it had been taken away. Oliver Wood had practically had a crazed look in his eyes and had stated that he would talk with both McGonagall and Harry's Dad about the Firebolt.

Harry sighed as he was left alone in the common room. He suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to read a chapter in Transfiguration as well. Ignoring the feeling of unease and guilt, he grudgingly began his lines. Deep down he knew he was being a brat and that his Dad just wanted to be sure he was safe but teenage rebellion was rearing its ugly head and it was easier to ignore the feeling of knowing he was wrong and instead focus on his anger. He had only managed to get to fifty-five lines when he fell asleep.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry woke up when he felt someone shaking him. "Harry, it's time for breakfast." Ron said. "Merlin, did you sleep down here all night?"

Harry looked down at his parchment. "I didn't finish! I'm not even close!" He groaned. "I'm supposed to hand these in right now."

Ron bit his lip. He knew the feeling of being in trouble with your parent and then getting into even more trouble with them. He had learned that with the flying car incident last year.

Hermione walked by them and her eyes fell on the parchment and Harry's distressed face. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it and walked away. Harry watched her go feeling even guiltier that he hadn't apologized to her yet.

"I'm going to stay up here and finish the lines." Harry decided finally. "I'll just tell my Dad that I forgot I was supposed to hand them in before breakfast."

Ron nodded. "I'll sneak some food to our first class for you."

Harry smiled gratefully. "Thanks mate. Hopefully my Dad doesn't realize I'm not at breakfast."

"I'll try to cover for you if he does." Ron promised as he turned to leave.

"Thanks Ron." Harry began writing, trying to do it as fast as possible. He had almost reached a hundred lines when the portrait opened and his irate looking Father walked in.

"Why are you not at breakfast?" Severus demanded. Knowing that his son had spent years skipping meals at the Dursley's, he never wanted Harry to go hungry again. His dark eyes fell on what his son was working on. "Ah, I see." He pursed his lips in disapproval.

Harry flushed and tried to cover up the pitiful progress he had made on his lines. "I don't have to eat breakfast if I'm not hungry do I?" Of course, his stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. Even his stomach was against him.

Severus raised an eyebrow. He had been worried when he hadn't seen Harry at the Gryffindor table. His worry had only increased when Weasley had fumbled over his explanation of where Harry was. "How many lines have you done?"

"Ninety-seven." Harry answered quietly.

"How many did you do yesterday?" Severus asked and frustration was clearly in his voice.

"Fifty-five." Harry didn't meet his Father's eyes. "I had homework last night you know."

"Attitude Harry." Severus said curtly. "What homework did you have last night?" If Harry had had a lot of homework then he would be more lenient about the lines. He already felt horrible for arguing with his son and he hated to be at odds with him.

"Um, reviewing for Arithmancy, summarize a chapter for Defense…" Harry trailed off.

"That's it?" Severus asked in exasperation. That was hardly anything.

"Well, I also have to read a chapter for Transfiguration and start your essay." Harry admitted as he fiddled with the quill in his hand.

"So you didn't do your Transfiguration homework and didn't start your potions essay which is due tomorrow. And you did not even come close to finishing your lines." Severus shook his head. "You hardly had any homework last night and had the whole evening to do your lines. What exactly did you do last night?"

Harry now fiddled with the edge of his parchment paper, rolling the edge a little. He didn't answer. The truth certainly wasn't an answer his Dad would approve of.

"Do not play games with me Harry." Severus warned. "Start talking."

"I may have played a few games of chess with Ron." Harry muttered.

Severus closed his eyes. He had grounded Harry to his dormitory and assigned him lines to give his son time to reflect on the attitude he had shown him yesterday. "You had plenty of time to do all of your work. There is no excuse for not finishing your homework or lines. I'm disappointed in you Harry." He said finally.

More guilt twisted in Harry's stomach but he did not want to acknowledge that he was in the wrong. "The lines weren't fair anyway." He said before he could stop himself.

"We went through this already; your attitude is what is not fair." Severus said sternly. "You knew you were to spend your evening doing your homework and lines, you knew you were being punished and you decided to play around instead."

"I just want my broom back!" Harry burst out.

"At this rate, you will never be getting your broom back." Severus told him sternly. "This stops now. I mean it. After your classes, you will come to our quarters to finish all of your homework as well as your lines. Except for dinner I want you in your bedroom until all your work is finished."

Harry's mouth dropped open. He was grounded again?

"Don't look at me like that. You brought this on with your defiance." Severus waved his wand and a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and a glass of pumpkin juice appeared in front of Harry. "Breakfast is almost over. Eat now and do not be late for your first class. We will talk more about this later."

"It's not right that I keep getting punished for wanting my Firebolt back, which was given to me as a present." Harry argued. He wished he could make himself shut up but he couldn't manage to keep his mouth zipped.

"Who gave it to you Harry? Who do we know would be able to give such an expensive gift and then not even let you know who they were?" Severus asked seriously. He really did want his son to understand why he was being so firm about the broomstick.

Harry looked away and shrugged. He didn't have an answer for that. He hadn't even really thought about it.

"And if someone who wished you harm has jinxed this broom to throw you off when you are in the air? Or hexed it to take you far away once you were on it?" Severus stared at his son. "Your life is more important than even the most wonderful broom in the world. It is worth waiting to use it to make sure the broom is safe to ride."

"All my friends think I shouldn't have to wait for it. They agree with me." Harry hated that he was whining but he couldn't stop himself. "You just don't want me to win at…" He shut his mouth quickly, staring wide eyed at his Dad. He hadn't meant to say that. He didn't even believe that.

"You think I took the Firebolt because I don't want you to win at Quidditch? Is that what you were going to say?" Severus asked incredulously.

No, I didn't mean that! Harry wanted to shout. Instead he just shrugged again.

Severus felt his anger rising and knew he needed to walk away before this became a shouting match. "Eat your food and go to class. Do not forget your restrictions for today. In addition, you will also be missing the next Hogsmeade trip." He announced grimly.

"But-" Harry started to protest.

"Enough Harry." Severus turned to leave the red and gold common room. He paused after the portrait opened. "I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe as well as give you as normal of a childhood as possible. I may not be doing everything right but I am trying. However, I can't do it alone. I need you to work with me." With that, he left.

Harry stared at the breakfast his Dad had made sure to give him and felt tears of remorse fill his eyes.

**TBC: Please review if you get a chance!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed! Enjoy!**

After Harry's classes were finished he obediently went to his quarters with Ron and Percy accompanying him. His stomach felt full of knots and he simply felt awful about everything. He hadn't talked to Hermione at all and he knew he needed to apologize to her. He also wanted to make things right with his Dad but there was a stubborn part of him that did not want to give in.

"Thank you Percy." Harry said when they reached the door.

"No problem Harry." Percy said, patting his Head Boy badge. "It's my duty to help ensure the students safety after all."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh, save it Percy." He ignored his older brother's disapproving frown. "See you at dinner Harry. Maybe if you get everything done you can come back to the dorms early." He said hopefully.

Harry sighed. "Doubtful. I also have today's homework to complete, as well as yesterdays."

"You know, time management is the – ow!" Percy glared at Ron who had stomped on his foot.

"Oops, sorry Percy." Ron said innocently.

"See you later." Harry laughed, letting himself inside. He hesitated, the laughter fading as he looked around the empty sitting room. "Dad?" He called out uncertainly. There was no answer and he felt mixed feelings about that as he went to his bedroom. He felt partly relieved that his Dad wasn't here as he didn't know what to say to him, yet he was also disappointed that his Dad wasn't here as he wanted make up with him.

Harry first did the homework he had not done yesterday and then began on his current assignments. He now really wished he had started his Potions essay yesterday as he could tell it would take awhile. He sighed and flipped through his Potions book as he began his outline. He heard the floo flare up from the other room and knew it would be his Dad, who usually flooed from his office. Sure enough, his Dad was in his doorway a moment later.

Father and son stared at each other for a moment and Harry desperately wanted to apologize but instead he simply went back to working on his essay. A few seconds later he heard footsteps walking away and the knots in Harry stomach tightened even more.

**HPHPHPHP**

In the sitting room, Severus was feeling just as miserable as his son. He hated the tension between them but he didn't know how to make it right. He wouldn't budge on the Firebolt issue and trying to get Harry to understand why wasn't working, they only ended up arguing. With a sigh, Severus sat down and began his own work of grading essays. As if he had not already been in a dour mood, he had had a visit from Oliver Wood. The Gryffindor captain had actually had the gall to demand Harry be given his Firebolt back! Of course, it had not taken the boy long to realize his mistake has Severus had ruthlessly ripped into him for his disrespect and caring more about a game than the safety of one of his players. He had added detention with Filch and sent the chastised teenager away. According to Minerva, Wood had tried to convince her to get the broom back as well and had received a sound lecture on priorities.

Severus shook his head and continued working on grading essays. At least Harry obeyed his restrictions and come back to their quarters to start his homework. With the attitude he had been getting, Severus had been worried he would have to track his son down and drag him home which would have resulted in more arguing. And the last thing Severus wanted was to argue with his child. The truth was he missed him. Even with Harry only in the next room he felt far away from his son and it made his heart hurt.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry put down his quill and flexed his hand. He had finally finished all of his homework and had made some progress on his lines, though he still had quite a few to do.

"It is time for dinner."

Harry looked up and saw his Dad watching him.

"How much progress have you made?" Severus asked.

"I still need to finish my lines." Harry replied and cringed inwardly at his accusative tone.

"You'll have plenty of time after dinner." Severus said evenly. "Let's go."

They walked in silence to the Great Hall and Harry quickly made his way to the Gryffindor Table. He noticed a miserable look on Oliver's face and briefly wondered what that was about.

"You okay mate?" Ron asked when he saw the downcast look on his friend's face.

"Yeah, I guess." Harry stared at his empty plate. His stomach still felt tight and he honestly did not feel like eating. He glanced down the table where Hermione was sitting and noticed she looked just as miserable as he did.

Ron followed his gaze. "So, think you guys will make up soon?"

Harry shrugged. "Eventually." When I stop being such a prat, he thought ruefully. "You know, you were rude to her too." He pointed out.

Ron looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well…she _is_ bossy." His tone sounded slightly regretful however.

Harry grinned slowly. "You miss her too." He said triumphantly.

"Whatever. I don't miss her cat trying to kill Scabbers." Ron mumbled.

Harry put some roast chicken and a roll on his plate but he only managed a few bites. He dreaded having to go finish his lines and feel so unsettled around his own father. He didn't talk much more during dinner and when the meal was over, he dutifully waited outside of the Great Hall for his Dad.

When they got back to their quarters Harry gave a disgruntled sigh and walked towards his bedroom. He turned his head but his Dad gave no reaction that he had heard him.

**HPHPHPHP**

It was almost curfew and Harry had finally finished his three hundred lines. He stretched his hand which was cramped and aching from all the writing. With a sigh, he got up to hand in his lines to his father.

Severus was reading through a potion's journal when Harry wordlessly handed in his several pages of parchment.

Severus looked through them and nodded. "Thank you Harry." He said quietly. He wanted to talk about their issues and see if Harry understood why he had been punished but his son's eyes still held a defiant glint in them and Severus really didn't want to get into another argument. He noticed Harry rubbing his right hand and was sure it was feeling sore. "Would you like a pain reliever for your hand?" He asked gently.

Harry quickly dropped his hands to his side. He wanted to say yes but he didn't want to appear like a baby who couldn't take a little pain. "No. I'm fine. Can I go back to my dorm now?"

The corners of Severus' mouth turned down. The pain reliever offer had been an olive branch he had hoped his son would take it so that they could talk things out and get back to normal. Apparently Harry wasn't ready to do that. "Yes, I will take you now."

They walked silently and when the apparently drunk Sir Cadogan's portrait opened, Harry only hesitated a moment before stepping through. "Good night."

"Good night Harry." Severus said softly before turning away and walking back to his quarters, his heart heavy.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry quietly got ready for bed and slipped into his maroon sheets. Despite having asked to come back to the dorm, he sort of wished he was back in his quarters with his Dad. He also wished he had taken the pain reliever because his hand still ached. And he regretted not apologizing when he had handed in his lines. Harry didn't even know why he was being such a brat about everything. He felt horrible yet there was a stubborn side to him that didn't want to admit he had been in the wrong. He missed talking with his Dad, joking with him, getting his advice and getting hugs. And it's my own fault, Harry thought grumpily as he slowly fell asleep.

_Harry looked around in confusion. He was back in the alley where he had run into his relatives._

"_No good freak." Vernon Dursley stepped out of the shadows, a mean grin on his face. "Now even your own Dad sees it."_

"_You always were a miserable spoiled little boy." Petunia also stepped out and stood next to Vernon. "Such a disappointment to your parents, right boy?"_

"_No I'm not." Harry protested though he couldn't help feel that may be true. After all, his attitude of late had been quite horrid. "Go away! Dad?" He spun around looking for his father and wondering how he had gotten back into this ally. "Dad?" He saw a movement and with relief went towards it. However when he got closer he saw that it wasn't his Dad. It was a Dementor._

"_No no no…" Harry couldn't concentrate on his happy memory. He didn't even have his wand with him! He could hear his Aunt and Uncle laughing as the Dementor got closer and closer…_

"_I'll help you Harry." _

_Harry eyes widened as he saw the man from the wanted posters coming towards him, with a crazy look in his eyes. Sirius Black! "You won't get away this time!" Sirius said threatenly. _

_Harry opened his mouth to scream but before he could, he heard someone else screaming. It sounded like…Ron?_

"Ahhh! It's him, it's Sirius Black!"

"Ron?" Harry sat up in his bed and saw a dark figure dart out of the room. He jumped out of bed as Seamus, Dean and Neville began to wake up.

"What happened?" Dean asked, rubbing his eyes.

Ron got out of his bed, his eyes wide and afraid. "It was Sirius Black! He had a knife!"

"You were dreaming mate." Seamus said dismissively.

"No, I woke up and saw someone run out of the room." Harry said shakily. Black had managed to get into his dorm again? And this time, he had been only a few feet away from him! "Ron, are you okay?"

"He had a knife!" Ron stared at Harry. "He must have thought my bed was yours!"

Harry felt sick and he sat down on his bed. "I don't, how…how did he get in?"

"I'm getting McGonagall!" Dean ran out of the room. The others could hear him shout for help as he went down the stairs.

"I can't believe he was in here!" Seamus shook his head. "What does he want?"

"You said he must have thought Harry's bed was yours." Neville whispered, terror on his face as he looked at Ron.

"Um, well, I just figured if he was so determined to get in here it would be because he was after Harry not me." Ron said weakly.

"Oh right, the boy-who-lived and all that." Seamus looked at Harry sympathetically.

Harry bit his lip and looked away. He didn't want everyone to know that Black had betrayed his parents and was, or had been, his godfather. It was bad enough they would now know that the escaped murderer was definitely after him, his peers didn't need to know all of the details.

Percy burst into the room. "Ron, are you okay?" There was concern clear in his voice.

"He was here Percy, honest! I saw him!" Ron said in an agitated voice.

Percy put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay now." He said and his tone a mixture of comforting and seriousness. "We need to all go to the common room and wait for Professor McGonagall."

When they got downstairs Professor McGonagall was already there and asked Ron to tell her exactly what happened.

"I woke up hearing a noise and Sirius Black was leaning over my bed with a knife." Ron said shakily. "I yelled and he ran out of the room." Percy and the twins stood close to their brother as he talked.

"Are you sure you were not dreaming Mr. Weasley?" Minerva asked calmly though her voice was tense.

"I saw him too Professor. I mean, I saw someone dressed in dark clothes run out of our room." Harry spoke up. His eyes met hers and he saw the blatant concern on her face. He noticed Hermione was standing near them with her eyes wide with fear.

Minerva flicked her wand and a silvery cat leapt out. "All right, I want everyone to stay in the common room until the Headmaster gets here. Where is Sir Cadogan? He keeps wandering from his post."

"There he is Professor." Percy pointed to a portrait above the fireplace.

"Sir Cadogan, did you let anyone inside recently?" Minerva asked.

"Why yes Madame! He was quite happy about it too!" Sir Cadogan said cheerfully.

The Gryffindors gasped as it was confirmed that a murderer had in fact been in their dorms. Again.

"Why would you let someone in who did not have the password?" Minerva demanded to know.

"But he did have the password. He had an entire list of passwords!" Sir Cadogan protested.

Minerva swirled around on her students. "Who wrote down a list of the passwords?" She asked sternly. An exasperated looked came over her face as Neville slowly raised his hand. "Honestly Mr. Longbottom, why is always you?"

"I don't know Ma'am." Neville said in a defeated voice.

"You and I will talk about this later." Minerva turned towards the portal opening as the Headmaster walked in despite Sir Cadogan not guarding the entrance.

"He was here?" Dumbledore asked and the normally twinkling eyes were serious.

"Yes. He got a hold of the password." Minerva said with a narrowed eyed glance at Neville which the Headmaster noticed.

Dumbledore frowned. "I will convince the Fat Lady to resume her post. Is everyone all right?" He looked at Harry.

Harry shrugged and looked down. The truth was he was not all right. It was all too much and he simply wanted his Dad. He vaguely heard Ron tell his story again to Dumbledore and then McGonagall was telling everyone to be careful and watch out for each other.

"Harry."

Harry looked up in surprise. His classmates were going back to their rooms, except for Ron and Hermione who were looking at him with worried expressions.

"Go on Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger." Minerva said briskly. "You need to get some sleep. If you think you will be able to Mr. Weasley?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Ron said weakly. He and Hermione exchanged concerned glances before each went to their own dorms.

"Harry, I'm going to take you to your father. He needs to hear about what happened." Dumbledore said gently.

"Good idea Albus." Minerva nodded. "I'm going to stay up here for a bit in case any of my lions need me."

The walk to the dungeons was silent as each wizard was lost in thought. They waited after the Headmaster knocked and a couple of minutes later Severus opened the door wearing his dressing gown. "Albus, what is wrong?" He then noticed his son. "Harry?"

Harry flung himself at his Dad, not caring how immature he probably looked in front of Professor Dumbledore at the moment.

Severus wrapped his arms tight around his son. "What happened?" He demanded of Dumbledore.

"There was an incident tonight. Sirius Black managed to get into Harry's dorm again." Dumbledore said. He then braced himself for the Potion Masters reaction.

**TBC: Reviews are very much appreciated! =)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"What!?" Severus hissed. His magic crackled around them in anger. The furniture could be heard rattling from the force of Severus's power. "How? How did this happen again?" He looked down at Harry and knelt down. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?" His eyes darted over his son checking for any injuries.

Harry leaned into his Dad's shoulder and shook his head. "I'm not hurt."

Severus looked up at Dumbledore. "Tell me what happened." He stood up, keeping Harry in a tight hug. Furious black eyes focused on the Headmaster.

"Mr. Weasley woke up and discovered Sirius Black leaning over his bed with a knife in hand. He yelled and Black ran out. Apparently Harry saw him too just as he was leaving." Dumbledore said somberly. "I will conduct another search of the castle tonight in case Sirius is lingering around, though I doubt he is. Also, I will be asking the Fat Lady to resume her post and she knows not to let Black inside even if he does have the password."

"Are you telling me Black _did_ have the password this time?" Severus asked darkly. Despite his angry expression and tone of voice, he was gently rubbing Harry's back with one hand and smoothing down his hair with the other.

Dumbledore hesitated. "Yes. Apparently a student had a list of the passwords that he or she had misplaced."

"And which dunderheaded student did that?" Severus asked tightly. Oh, whoever it was would pay with the most gruesome detentions he could think of.

"I believe Minerva is figuring that out." Dumbledore said dismissively. Severus would eventually find out who had left out a list of the passwords but hopefully not until his temper had calmed somewhat. He had seen the look Minerva had given Neville and he felt for the poor boy. "I will take my leave now and send word if Black is found."

After Albus had left, Severus looked down at Harry who still had his face buried against him. He was trembling slightly. "Come on Harry." He said gently as he led Harry to his bedroom. He pulled back the bedcovers and helped Harry in. He summoned a washcloth. "Aguamenti." The cloth immediately moistened with cool water and he rubbed Harry's face gently with it.

"Do you feel up to talking about what happened?" Severus asked. "We can wait until morning if you do not. You look exhausted."

"I wasn't sleeping well before anyway." Harry said dully. He raised his emerald eyes up to meet his Dad's. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Severus asked in confusion.

"Everything. My horrible attitude the last couple of days, I didn't mean it. I don't know why I acted like that." Harry said miserably.

"Ah, I see." Severus said with a small chuckle. "You acted like many teenagers do when they don't get their way Harry. I didn't appreciate the attitude but I do appreciate the apology. I have not enjoyed the last couple of days being at odds with you."

"Me either." Harry said tiredly.

Severus frowned at the dark circles under his son's eyes. "You said you weren't sleeping before the incident with Black."

"I had a nightmare." Harry confessed. "I've been having nightmares. Because of…"

"Because?" Severus prodded.

"The Dursley's and the Dementors." Harry whispered. "And then tonight, I dreamed the Dursley's were saying how much of a disappointment I was and that now you realized that. And then a Dementor was coming for me and they were laughing and Sirius Black appeared and told me I wouldn't get away this time. And when I woke up I saw him running out of our dorm."

Severus pulled Harry to his chest and wrapped his arms around him. "You're safe. You are safe and I will not let anyone harm you." He shook his head, wising he had known his son had been suffering. "Harry, you are not a disappointment. Not at all."

"Even though I was being a total prat?" Harry mumbled. He couldn't help but smile when his Dad's chest rumbled from laughter.

"Never. You are never a disappointment." Severus confirmed. "Quite the opposite is true Harry. I am very proud of you. You are an amazing child and I can't imagine my life without you in it." Severus sighed. "Actually I can. Before the memory charm faded, I was lonely and bitter and angry all the time. Only someone special could change the fierce bat of the dungeons correct?"

Harry snickered. "Hmm, that's true. Although most students are still scared of you."

"Good, I wouldn't want that to change." Severus smirked. "But I am not lonely and angry anymore. My life doesn't feel empty anymore." He said sincerely.

"Mine either." Harry whispered. "I've missed you. I wanted to apologize earlier but I couldn't make myself do it and then I just felt worse and worse."

Severus patted Harry on the shoulder. "That would be the stubborn pride which you inherited from me and your mother." He said fondly. He watched Harry smile as his eyes began to droop. He wanted to talk more but he knew his son needed to get some real rest. He summoned a vial of Dreamless Sleep and held it up to Harry's mouth. "Take one swallow."

Harry obeyed and immediately felt peaceful waves of drowsiness overtake him. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a much needed sleep void of any of the nightmares that had been plaguing him. Before sleep completely claimed him, he heard his Dad say that he had missed him too.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus stayed up, sitting by his son's bed the rest of the night. He had no desire to sleep and despite the fact that his quarters were heavily warded, he didn't want Harry out of his sight for the moment. It was too close, Black had gotten too close. Somehow that maniac had managed his way into Harry's dorm with a knife. What if…no Severus could not even think of it. Thankfully Black had been scared off. _This time_…

Severus watched Harry as he slept peacefully. He knew what he had to do and he was apprehensive of telling Harry that he would be moving into their quarters as he didn't want to create another row with his son. But just as with the Firebolt, Severus would be firm in his decision. He could only hope Harry would accept it without a fight.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry woke up slowly, stretching and yawning as he did. Opening his eyes he remembered that he wasn't in his dorm and of the previous night's events. He sat up, wondering if there was any news on Sirius Black. He was also worried about Ron and hoped his friend was okay after last night.

Harry got up and dressed, realizing he felt more rested than he had in awhile. He wandered out of his room and stopped as he was hit with a delicious smell. Waffles. With a grin he hurried into the kitchen.

Severus was flipping waffles and turned at the sound of Harry sniffing appreciatively as he walked in. "I wanted to be able to talk with you so I hope you don't mind eating here instead of the Great Hall." He explained as he finished cooking and carried a plate of waffles to the table. There were already eggs and bacon as well, as Harry's favorite Pumpkin Syrup.

"I don't mind at all." Harry sat down and poured himself a glass of milk.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Severus asked as he sipped his coffee. He was relieved to see the dark circles were gone and overall Harry looked much brighter.

"I'm feeling fine Dad." Harry said as he took his first bite of waffle_. Mmmm_. "Is there any news on Sirius Black?" He asked eagerly.

"No. There isn't a trace of him anywhere." Severus said in frustration. He wished he knew how that maniac was managing to get into the school undetected. It was baffling.

"Do you know if Ron is okay? He must still be pretty shaken." Harry said in concern.

"I am sure he is fine. He has his brothers and sister, as well as Miss. Granger with him. They are no doubt keeping a close eye on him." Severus assured him.

Harry's face fell at the mention of Hermione.

"What?"

"I remembered that I need to apologize to Hermione too. She was trying to help me see your side of things and Ron and I kind of turned on her." Harry said quietly.

"I see. I am sure she will accept your apology Harry." Severus said assuredly. "Your friendship is quite strong."

"I know." Harry sighed. "You still forgive me right?"

"Yes, of course I do." Severus said patiently. "I don't regret my decision regarding the Firebolt but I wish I had taken more time to explain to you the basis behind my decision."

Harry shook his head. "You did. I just didn't listen."

Severus took a deep breath. "I have made another decision based on last night's events and while I will not waver from it, I am prepared to hear you out and talk about it."

Harry was silent for a second. "I'm moving in here until Black is caught." He guessed. He grinned at the surprised look his Dad gave him. "You already told me that I would be if anything else happened regarding Sirius, remember?"

"Yes, that's right I did. You are not upset?" Severus asked curiously. He was happy that Harry wasn't arguing the point and didn't even look upset about it.

Harry shook his head. "No, relieved actually. Last night showed me much danger I really am in and how much danger my friends are in. I didn't want everyone to think I was a baby by moving in here but at this point, I really don't care what anyone thinks. If word gets around that I'm not in the dorms anymore then Black won't try to get in there again and my friends will be safer." Harry fiddled with his fork. "Plus I like being here with you. And we are safe here right?"

Severus felt a rush of warmth at Harry's words. "I like being together too Harry. I can't imagine how parents deal with having their children gone for most of the year. And yes, there is no possible way Black could get into our quarters." He smiled as Harry's eyes brightened. "There is something else I wanted to talk about. Why have you not mentioned you were having nightmares? How long have they been going on?"

"Um, since I ran into the Dursley's. It's not every night though." Harry said quickly at the sad look that came over his Dad's face. "Are you mad that I didn't tell you?" He asked quietly.

"No not mad, a little disappointed though. I hate that you have been suffering from nightmares and I had no idea. Talking it over might help make the nightmares go away." Severus told him.

"It started after I ran into the Dursley's. I sometimes dream of them and they're telling me I'm worthless. And at the beginning of the year I dreamed that Dumbledore told me you were not my Father and that I would have to go back to them." Harry admitted.

Severus shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were full of pain and sadness. "Harry, you are my son. One hundred percent my son. But let's say that we found out that wasn't true. I truly would still consider you my son and would never, _ever_ let you return to the Dursley's." He stared at Harry. "You are my son and I love you. You are not worthless, you are not bad, and you are not a disappointment. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes."

Severus looked uncertain. The years of the Dursley's treatment may have affected Harry to where he would never be able to fully understand that he was wanted and loved. Over time he will, Severus told himself. One day he will trust that he is cherished and treasured.

"Why did you not mention the dreams beforehand?" Severus asked. When will you fully trust me? He asked silently.

"You had just told me about Black and I didn't want to add to your stress. I thought they would go away but then I began dreaming of the Dementors too." Harry sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Severus leaned forward. "Just know that no matter how much stress you think I am under, you can talk to me. I will always make time for you, always. All right? You are my first priority Harry."

Harry nodded. "All right." He smiled. Suddenly his eyes went wide as he realized they had been talking for awhile. "Wait, aren't we both late for our first class?"

"Hmm, yes it would appear that we are. Of course, I can write myself a note excusing my absence. You on the other hand…" Severus raised one shoulder. He laughed at Harry's pout. "I informed your Professor's that you may not be attending classes today. The Headmaster offered to cover my class right now, terrifying thought that is." He shuddered at the image of Dumbledore having his students make a lemon drop flavored tonic.

"So I don't have to go to my classes today?" Harry asked.

"Not if you feel you need to rest more." Severus said seriously. "I wasn't sure how you would be feeling today."

"Oh. I'm okay though, especially now that we have talked." Harry said honestly. He also wanted to see how Ron was and apologize to Hermione as soon as possible.

"Good." Severus said in satisfaction.

"I need to get my books though." Harry stood up as he had finished with breakfast.

Severus sent the dishes into the sink. "Actually, I had one of the Hogwarts elves bring your things here already. Your trunk is in your room."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Harry turned and went back into his bedroom where he noticed what he had missed earlier. His trunk was in the corner of the room. He threw on his school robe and put the books he needed in his bag. When he got back out his Dad was waiting for him at the door.

"Ready?" Severus asked as Harry joined him. "Are you sure you feel up to attending classes?"

"I'm sure." Harry nodded.

Severus dropped Harry off at his History of Magic class and Harry quickly sat at his desk which was between Ron and Hermione. Professor Binn's was talking in his monotone voice as he floated aimlessly in front of class. Most of the students were dozing, doodling or passing notes.

"You okay?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

"Yeah are you? Your stuff is gone from the dorm." Ron whispered back.

"I'm fine. I'm going to be living with my Dad until Black is caught." Harry told him. He glanced over at Hermione who was taking notes on the lecture but he could tell she was listening.

"I made up with my Dad." Harry whispered to her.

Hermione glanced at him and her eyes softened. "I'm glad." She said softly.

"I'm really sorry I was such a prat to you." Harry bit his lip. "You don't hate me or anything do you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him a piece of parchment from her bag. "Don't be silly Harry. Of course I don't hate you. I know I can be annoying at times and that I've been more stressed out this year. I didn't mean to act like a Professor or parent to you."

Harry looked at the parchment and saw that they were lecture notes from his first class which he had missed. "Thanks Hermione." He saw that Ron looked half asleep and laughed to himself. "Is Ron really okay?"

"Are you kidding? He is more than fine." Hermione snickered as she jotted down more notes. As usual, Professor Binn's didn't take any notice of his students talking or sleeping. "You weren't at breakfast so you didn't see but Ron is considered something of a hero."

"Really?"

Hermione nodded. "Oh yes, to hear him tell it he first engaged Sirius Black in a duel before scaring him away."

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"His story gets more and more grand each time he tells it." Hermione huffed although her brown eyes shone with amusement.

Harry chuckled as he tried to pay attention to the history lesson but he found his eyes drooping and soon Hermione was shaking both him and Ron awake. "Honestly you two." She sighed. "What if Professor Binn had called on you? Or had given a surprise quiz?"

"Binn's never calls on students or gives surprise quizzes." Ron rolled his eyes. "He just talks about the same thing over and over again."

Harry laughed, happy with the feeling that things were back to normal with his friends. He was also feeling content knowing that he had patched things up with his Dad. Sirius Black may still be out there but at least things were back on track with his family and friends.

**TBC:**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Students began clamoring around Ron as soon as they entered the Defense classroom. Many wanted to hear his story again while Lavender and Parvati simply kept staring at Ron with awed expressions on their faces.

Harry exchanged an amused glance with Hermione as he sat down at his desk. It was nice not to be the one everyone was staring at and Harry was more than happy for Ron to soak up the attention.

Remus walked in and stood by his desk, waiting for his students to move to their seats. He frowned slightly when the majority of the students stayed with Ron, who was talking animatedly to them.

Remus cleared his throat loudly and finally the students noticed their Professor and scattered to their seats. "All right, settle down now." He leaned against his desk. "I understand there was some excitement last night." His concerned brown eyes landed on Harry.

"Ron fought off Sirius Black!" Seamus said enthusiastically. "I just wish I hadn't slept through it!"

Remus looked amused. "Yes, I heard all about last night." He winked at Ron who flushed slightly. "I am glad you are okay Mr. Weasley." His darted to Harry again. "I'm glad all of you are all right." He stood up straight. "This is an example of why learning Defense is so important. You must be always prepared and I hope by the end of the year you will be a little more equipped to handle yourselves if a dangerous situation arises." He clapped his hands together. "Now that we have studied Red Caps we can move on to Kappas. Does anyone know what a Kappa is?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air. When Remus nodded at her, she spoke confidently. "Kappas are creepy water-dwellers and they resemble scaly monkeys. They use their webbed hands to strangle anyone who invades their ponds."

"Very good Hermione." Remus said. "Five points to Gryffindor." He then began his lesson on Kappas and ended the class assigning an essay on the diet, habitat and defense of the Kappas.

"I like this class but I hate essays." Ron grumbled as the trio got their things together.

"Do you need help with your essay Ron?" Lavender asked eagerly. She and Parvati were standing behind him. "I don't mind helping you."

"They should excuse you from homework for the rest of the week as a reward for fighting Sirius Black." Parvati added. Lavender nodded in agreement.

A goofy grin came over Ron's face. "Well, it was my duty to protect everyone else. I don't need a reward for that." He said modestly.

Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh brother." He heard her mutter.

Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Draco. "So what really happened?" He nodded his head towards Ron who was still talking to Lavender and Parvati.

"Um, what do you mean?" Harry asked.

Draco smirked. "No offense to Weasley but there is no way he dueled an escaped murderer. It is more believable that he screamed for his mother."

"He didn't scream for his mother." Harry snapped. At Draco's knowing look Harry sighed. "He _may_ be embellishing a little, I wouldn't know as I only woke as Black was leaving."

"I can't believe he made it in again." Draco commented. "Maybe we need guards inside the castle or something. Not Dementors as those things are horrid, but Aurors would be good."

"Aurors?" Harry asked curiously.

"Dark wizard catchers." Draco informed him. "Father says we would be more protected that way, although he also said that they should have caught the convict by now if they were doing their jobs right."

"Hmm." Harry wondered what being an Auror was like. It sounded exciting. "Wait, do you mean you talked with your father recently?" He asked hopefully.

"Why yes it does Snape. I heard from him this morning. He, of course, had already heard of the break in because of his _importance _in the ministry." Draco said smugly.

"Well?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Well what?" Draco asked innocently.

"Did you hear about Buckbeak?" Hermione cut in. She joined their conversation as she had grown tired of hearing Ron tell his story to a gaggle of students for the hundredth time.

"Yes."

Harry and Hermione stared at him. "Well?" They both said together.

"Malfoy so help me…" Hermione leveled her wand at Draco, whose silver eyes widened in alarm.

"Okay okay. Buckbeak will not be executed or punished in any way." Draco looked smug. "The Nott's have been informed to drop the issue."

Harry gave a whoop of glee and Hermione looked like she might cry. "Oh, I'm so relieved!"

"I can't believe your father did it!" Harry shook his head. He had hoped this would happen but he didn't really believe Mr. Malfoy would care to try, even if it was his own son asking.

"I told you he had enough influence." Draco bragged. "All I had to do was tell him that Nott had been a prat all term and now with his lying about the hippogriff, he was making Slytherin look bad. Father thinks you should take pride in what House you are in and when he heard that Nott had been losing us points with his stupidity, he was more than happy to tell Theo's parents to back off."

"Brilliant!" Harry slapped Draco on the shoulder. Hermione grinned and gave Harry a hug and then she turned to Draco and paused, holding out her hand.

Draco looked surprised but then gave his usual arrogant smile and shook her hand. "Thank you Draco." Hermione said sincerely.

Draco shrugged. "No biggie. I proved my point about my father. Personally I couldn't care less about the hippogriff."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought you were showing some humanity."

Draco shrugged and was about to say something when he was shoved forward and almost fell. He spun around, wand in hand and glared at Theo. "Do that again and you'll be very sorry." He threatened.

"How dare you interfere with my complaint against that stupid creature?" Theo hissed. "You just had to get your Daddy involved didn't you? Why? To impress the lions over here? To impress our Head of House?" He glared at Harry and Hermione. Ron noticed what was going on and excused himself from his admirers to stand with his friends.

"I don't need to impress anyone Nott. I'm a Malfoy. Ergo, more important than you." Draco said loftily.

"Why don't you just sod off Nott?" Harry snapped. "You've caused enough trouble already. Why don't you just give it a rest?"

Theo looked furious. "Watch your back _Snotter_." He said in a low tone. He spun on his heel and walked away.

"That was fun." Draco said cheerfully.

"What if he tries something else to mess with us?" Ron wondered out loud.

"Why are you worried? You duel with mass murderers." Hermione teased.

Ron scratched the back of his head. "Uh, right."

"Eh, what else can Nott do? Make fun of me? Call me more names?" Harry shrugged, not concerned. "No big deal." He grinned. "We should go tell Hagrid the good news, if he hasn't heard already. Do you want to come with us Malfoy?"

Draco looked surprised and a little embarrassed. "That's okay. Like I said, I only wanted to show you how influential my father is." He turned and walked out of the classroom.

Hermione stared after him thoughtfully. "You know, I don't think he is used to doing a nice thing for someone." She said.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Come one let's go find Hagrid. I bet we can catch him going into the Great Hall for lunch." He grinned at Ron. "Do you think your fan club will leave you alone for awhile?" He asked in pretend concern.

"Shut up Harry." Ron playfully pushed Harry ahead of him as they walked. "So I embellished a bit."

"A bit." Harry snickered.

Hermione was smiling, looking happier than she had in days. "You two." She said fondly as she followed her best friends.

**HPHPHPHP**

Christmas break started tomorrow and Harry was relieved when Hedwig delivered a box full of presents he had ordered for his Dad and friends. He had gotten some ideas during the last Hogsmeade visit and had used a catalogue to do the rest of his shopping. He was excited for the gift for his Dad. Thankfully he had saved enough money for it.

After Percy escorted him to his quarters, he had quickly gone into his room to wrap the gifts before his Dad got back from his meeting with the Headmaster. Opening the box he pulled out the pocket watch he had bought his Dad. It was sliver with an emerald green snake on it. Harry opened it up and was pleased to see that it was already set to the right time. He turned it over. _To Dad, Love Harry_ was inscribed in elegant writing on the back. Happy with how it looked Harry quickly wrapped it in gold and red wrapping, smirking to himself as he did. He pulled out joke products and sweets for Ron and placed them in a box and wrapped it. He then wrapped Hermione's gift which was a lavender scarf she had mentioned seeing during their last Hogsmeade visit. Harry felt a pain of disappointment that he would miss the next Hogsmeade visit which was right after Christmas break. Despite making amends, his Dad had told him that the punishment would stand though Harry could clearly see the regret in his Dad's eyes. Harry knew his Dad wanted to hold him accountable for his actions and show that he would always keep his word, even on a punishment. Truth be told, until Black was caught Harry figured it was safer for everyone if he didn't go to the village. If Black could break into his dorm room then he could easily attack him in Hogsmeade.

With a sigh, Harry wrapped up the fudge for Hagrid and bars of chocolate for Professor Lupin. He had some sweets from Honeydukes left over so on impulse he wrapped those up for Draco. Whatever the reason he had done it, Draco had helped save Buckbeak and Harry felt he should give him a gift. He smiled as he remembered the look of utter happiness on Hagrid's face when he had found out that the case against Buckbeak had been dropped. The happiness had turned to shock when Harry had told him that Draco had gotten his father to help. Harry just hoped Draco wouldn't hex him if he found out that Harry had told Hagrid. He wrapped up some owl treats for Hedwig and a turkey flavored dog bone for Snuffles and Fang. Finally finished he put his presents in his closet until it was time to leave for the cottage. He then packed his trunk for the stay at the cottage. He couldn't wait to go back there.

"Harry?"

Harry followed the voice and saw his Dad stepping out of the floo. "Hi Dad!"

"How were the last of your classes?" Severus asked as he crossed the room and ruffled his son's hair.

Harry ducked out of the way with a laugh. "Fine. Most of the Professor's were nice and didn't give any homework for the break. _Most._" He scowled at his Dad.

"One little essay won't be a problem." Severus said dismissively.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Little? You assigned a massive essay on Undetectable Potions!"

"Massive." Severus scoffed. "You have two whole weeks to do it. And you said yourself you hardly have any other homework for those two weeks."

"It's Christmas break." Harry practically whined though humor shone in his eyes. "And everyone in class was glaring at me as if I had personally assigned it."

"The problems of being a Professor's son." Severus sighed dramatically.

Harry rolled his eyes good naturally at his Dad's teasing.

"You can always start on the essay tonight." Severus suggested. "Instead of leaving it to the last minute, like most of the students are prone to do."

"Yeah, I was going to spend the evening with Ron and Hermione since they are leaving tomorrow morning. We were, um, going to start our homework." Harry said nonchalantly.

Severus gave Harry a knowing look. "You mean you and Mr. Weasley are going to play chess or exploding snap while Miss. Granger gets a head start on her assignments."

Harry stared at his Dad. "How do you know these things?" He didn't even bother denying that that scenario was likely to happen.

"I'm a genius." Severus snorted with a shake of his head as he went to his desk to organize the papers he would be taking with him to the cottage. Students weren't the only ones with homework for the holiday break. He also needed to confirm with Lucius Malfoy their meeting which would happen after the break was done.

"Are we going to the Weasley's house for Christmas again this year?" Harry asked.

"Yes we have been invited for Christmas dinner." Severus nodded as he sat at his desk to write a letter to Lucius.

"Brilliant!" Harry felt almost giddy with excitement. He had come a long way from the boy who spent Christmas in a cupboard. Now he had his Dad to spend Christmas day with and then the evening with his best friend's family. "Will you shrink my broom so that I can take it to the cottage?"

"I will do that and put it in my bag." Severus promised. He waited to see if Harry would bring up the Firebolt but to his relief Harry refrained. He had to admit he felt a sense of pride seeing Harry fly on his Grandfather's broom. Despite not being close to his own family except his mother, Severus was still grateful to have something to pass down to his son. "I'll walk you to your dorm in a bit all right? And then I'll pick you up in two hours. I don't want you staying up too late as we have a big day tomorrow with getting a tree and decorating." He loved the gleam that danced in his son's eyes at hearing that. Severus just wished he could make up for all the Christmas's Harry had had to endure at the Dursley's.

"I can't wait. I was thinking the tree should be in gold, maroon and covered with lion ornaments. Only lions." Harry grinned. "And they should all roar."

Severus winced. That sounded horrid. "I would keep thinking on that if I were you." He informed his son. "Are you ready to go to your dorm?"

Harry nodded and as they walked Harry told his Dad about how Draco had seemed embarrassed about doing something nice, such as helping Buckbeak.

"I'm very happy your Slytherin plan worked." Severus practically gloated. Lucius would have a fit if he knew his son had been out Slytherin'ed by a Gryffindor!

"Yeah, I was surprised. I mean, I hoped it would work but I can't believe it actually did." Harry said. "I'm happy though, you should have seen the look on Hagrid's face."

"Well, you helped make his Christmas a much happier one. I'm proud of you." Severus told Harry as they arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait. "Two hours." Severus reminded Harry after he had given the password. Harry gave a nod that he understood and disappeared inside.

Severus turned and made his way back to his quarters to pack. After all the stress of worrying about Black, working on making plans to work with Lucius and his fight with Harry which was thankfully over, he was looking forward to relaxing a bit and spending some quality time with his son.

**TBC: Pleas review if you get a chance!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Some Christmas time fluffy moments =)**

"Don't you want to play Hermione?" Ron asked as he and Harry finished their second game of Exploding Snap. The trio was sitting in the Gryffindor common room by the fireplace.

"No thanks. I really want to get a start on the potions essay; it's definitely going to take some time." Hermione's voice was cheerful as she thumbed through her potions text.

Ron shook his head in amazement. "Honestly Hermione, I think you consider homework the Professors' Christmas present to us."

Hermione sniffed. "I do not Ronald. I just like a challenge that's all." She defended herself.

Harry made a face. "My Dad not only assigns an essay over Christmas but a super challenging essay. Brilliant."

"McGonagall also assigned an essay but at least it's a short one." Ron said as he began to set up the chess board. "Personally, I think Professors should not be allowed to assign homework over the holiday."

"Or weekends." Harry joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Or how about any day ending with a y?" She said sarcastically. When Harry and Ron's eyes lit up she laughed. "Wishful thinking boys."

"Are those all the books you are taking home with you?" Harry asked curiously when he noticed the pile sitting next to Hermione. He knew she was taking all of the electives but didn't know how she could possibly manage her time with all her classes.

"Yup." Hermione ignored his suspicious look and continued working.

As Ron took one of his players, Harry told himself he would start his potions essay after this game. The next game for sure.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Did you have fun?" Severus asked after he and Harry had returned to their quarters.

Harry yawned. "Yeah, I did."

"Go get ready for bed." Severus gently nudged Harry towards his room.

"Okay but I'm not sleepy yet." Harry said as he tried to hide another yawn.

"Go on." Severus watched as Harry walked into his room. He thought of making tea for both of them but he had a feeling Harry would be asleep before long. His son never wanted to admit he was tired. He had been the same as a toddler, always fighting hard to not fall asleep.

"_All right Harry, time for sleep." Severus gently put his son down in his crib._

"_No sweep Daddy." Harry whined, his chubby hands rubbing his sleepy eyes._

"_You're not sleepy?" Severus kept his voice low and soothing as he pulled a blanket over his son and gently rocked the crib._

_Little Harry yawned. "Not sweepy." He agreed as he shut his little eyes and a minute later was fast asleep._

_Severus smiled as he watched his child. He had never thought growing up that he would have a child, never thought that he had what it took to be a good father. It was thanks to Lily's love and confidence in him that he now had this miracle, this child who filled him with so much joy._

"_He's asleep?" Lily whispered, coming up behind Severus._

_Severus nodded and made sure the baby monitor was working before taking Lily's hand and leaving the room. They both stood at the doorway and watched their baby sleeping._

"_Did he insist he wasn't tired?" Lily asked as Severus put his arm around her._

_Severus chuckled. "He did. Stubborn little boy."_

"_He gets that from you." Lily told him._

"_I do believe you are mistaken on that." Severus smirked. "He gets it from you."_

"_He does not." Lily crossed her arms. She grinned. "All right, maybe he gets it from both of us."_

_Laughing, Severus folded Lily into a hug and thought about how perfect everything was. A wife he loved completely and a son whom he loved more than he ever had thought possible. _

Severus peeked into Harry's room and bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. Harry had changed into his pajamas and fallen asleep on top of his bed. Carefully Severus maneuvered Harry into his bed and covered him with his comforter. He lightly ran his hand through his son's hair, frowning at the lightning bolt scar. If they could catch Voldemort now, before the monster had a chance to fully come back then Harry would finally be safe. Severus watched his son sleep for a moment, finding it as comforting now as when Harry was a toddler. He quietly left the room, deciding to retire for the night as well.

**HPHPHPHP**

The floo in the Snape Cottage flared to life as Severus and Harry stepped out. Severus immediately cast a warming charm on Harry and started a fire so the rooms would warm up.

"Ahh, holiday break. A time to sleep in, fly, play in the snow…" Harry said happily.

"Put your things away, do your homework…" Severus pulled Harry's trunk out of his pocket and restored it to its original size. He did the same with Harry's broom and Hedwig's empty cage.

Harry made a face. "Killjoy." He muttered as he headed upstairs. He ignored his Dad's laughter as he went into his bedroom to unpack. He felt so content being here. He, like his Dad, considered their quarters at Hogwarts as home but he felt more so about the cottage. Probably because Mum lived here, Harry thought as he put his things away. Once upon a time the three of them had lived here together. Harry put Hedwig's cage on the stand his Dad had bought for her and opened his window. Hedwig would most likely be arriving soon though she liked to take her time flying and stretch her wings.

Once Harry had put his clothes and books away he heard a hoot and Hedwig swept into his room. "Hey girl!" Harry gave her a scratch on her head. "Maybe we can fly together while we are here." He said. Hedwig gave a hoot of approval as she settled herself in her cage to rest. "Tomorrow I have several packages that need to be mailed so rest up okay?" Harry ruffled her feathers and she cooed in response. He made sure she had food and water and then wandered downstairs. He wished he could have brought Snuffles but his Dad had not taken to the idea so Harry hadn't pushed it. Hagrid had assured him that he was looking after Snuffles and still trying to find the dog's owners. At least Snuffles has Fang to play with, Harry told himself.

Harry was going to go outside and look at the snow covered garden but his Dad's voice halted him.

"Jacket, scarf, hat and gloves." Severus said as he walked through the living room. "Catching a cold will not be a fun Christmas for you."

"I'm wearing a jumper and you put a warming charm on me." Harry pointed out.

"A mild warming charm and this is non-negotiable." Severus said and let some firmness enter his tone.

"All right, you win." Harry threw up his hands. He ran upstairs and put on all his winter clothing items before hurrying back downstairs. He went outside and took in the breathtaking view of the cottage and garden, covered in pure white snow. The stream by them would be frozen and he hoped to later ice skate on it.

Severus walked outside; wearing his own jacket, hat and the scarf Harry had gotten him last year for Christmas. He watched as Harry was concentrated on building something in the snow. "A dog?"

Harry looked up and grinned, his cheeks flushed from the cold. "It's Snuffles!"

"Ah." Severus nodded. He hadn't yet met the stray the Harry was so crazy about and hoped by the time they got back to Hogwarts, Hagrid would have found a home for him. Otherwise he had a feeling Harry would start pleading with him to keep the dog themselves. He bent down and began a sculpting of his own.

Harry finished his snow dog and then walked over to see what his Dad was making. He watched for a moment and then grinned. "Are you making Buckbeak?"

Severus shrugged one shoulder. "Yes, in honor of you helping to save him. Would you like to help me?"

"Yeah!" Harry worked with his Dad and together they made quite an impressive Hippogriff.

"Can we take a picture of it and show Hagrid?" Harry asked excitedly.

Severus nodded and summoned his camera. He snapped a shot of the snow hippogriff and snow snuffles before snapping a shot of Harry. He then charmed the camera to float in front of him and gestured for Harry to join him. He put his arm around his son as the camera took their picture. "Shall we go pick out a tree?" Severus asked.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. They went inside and changed into dry clothes before using the floo to go buy their tree. This year they did not need to pick out ornaments like last year as they had bought plenty. However, Severus couldn't resist buying two more though he hid them from his son.

Once they arrived back home, Severus put the shrunken tree near the fireplace and restored it to its original size. "It's just a good as last years." Harry grinned as he began rummaging through the box of ornaments his Dad had brought in. He picked up the blue bear with the words Harry's First Christmas sewn into it that his Mum had made. He held it for a moment and then hung it at the top of the tree. He put the snow globe that held a picture of him as a newborn with his parents' right next to it. "Dad? Would Mum be proud of me? Be honest."

Severus paused in adding garland to the staircase rails. His son's insecurity seemed to have increased since running into those blasted Dursley's. "Yes, she would be proud of you." Severus said seriously. "She would be as proud as I am Harry. Do you have any idea how amazing you are? The childhood you suffered could have made you bitter and cruel yet you are kind and compassionate. You are also brave and loyal and smart."

Harry looked away until he was sure he wouldn't tear up. "I guess I take after my parents huh?" He offered his Dad a grin.

"Your mother especially." Severus continued to his task. He also put garland along the top of the fireplace and added their stockings. He then joined Harry in put up their ornaments and added colorful lights. "You know, I think we missed a couple of ornaments."

Harry looked into the empty box. "Nope, we hung them all."

"Are you sure?" Severus smirked as he summoned the two ornaments he had bought during their outing.

Harry looked at the lion ornament which when you shook it, it roared. He burst into laughter as he remembered his threat of decorating the tree in only roaring lions. The other ornament was a snake that hissed when you shook it. "These are brilliant! When did you buy them?"

"Today." Severus said in satisfaction as he watched Harry hang them on the tree. "I charmed them to make noise however."

"Today? Wow, I didn't even realize." Harry said, impressed.

"I can be quite stealthy when I want to be." Severus informed his son with a smirk.

Together they sat on the sofa and drank hot chocolate as they admired their beautiful tree. Harry felt so content, safe, and loved as his fears brought on by his relatives began to slowly fade. He was loved and wanted and he finally began to see that he would never be considered a burden or unloved again.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry woke up to the sound of scratching at his window. He peeked through his bedcover which was practically covering his head to see Hedwig outside his window, holding a parcel. He quickly got up and opened his window. "Hedwig!" His familiar flew in, dropping the parcel in Harry's hands. He had sent Hedwig yesterday to deliver his gifts and knew she would have spent the night at the Weasley's before coming back. "Here you go girl, Merry Christmas." Harry gave her some of her favorite treats that he had bought for her. She nuzzled his hand before settling down and enjoying her present. Harry threw on his dressing gown and slippers before heading downstairs, carrying the presents Hedwig had delivered. He heard sounds from the kitchen and grabbing his full stocking, as well as his Dad's which he had filled last night, he moved to sit in front of the tree.

Severus came out of the kitchen holding a tray which held to mugs of hot pumpkin cider with whipped cream on top. "Merry Christmas Harry."

"Merry Christmas Dad!" Harry held out his Dad's stocking which Severus took while handing Harry his mug of cider. "Mmm." Harry took a sip of the delicious cider. "Stockings first?"

"As you wish." Severus watched fondly as Harry reached in and pulled the items out of his stocking one by one. His son truly cherished every moment and didn't want to rush through the gift opening like most children were prone to do. He had filled Harry's stocking with candy, a new Quidditch magazine, and a sketchbook. Harry looked at his Dad in surprise.

"I've noticed you've been starting to draw." Severus explained. "As much as I enjoy the little drawings you add to your essays, the book would probably be a better place for them." He added.

Harry laughed. He did like drawing and he couldn't help but add a drawing here and there when he finished an essay for his Dad. "I love it, thank you."

"You draw well from what I have seen; perhaps it could be a career in your future." Severus suggested.

"Maybe." Harry said and his look thoughtful. "Although Draco mentioned Aurors before and that sounds like an exciting job."

Severus stiffened slightly. That was the last thing he wanted, Harry being an Auror. It was a very dangerous job. "Well, you have some time before deciding on anything. There are many options." Was all he said.

Harry nodded absently as he looked through his new magazine. Severus went through his own stocking and saw that Harry had filled it with his favorite candy as well as a red quill. He heard snickering and looked at Harry questionally.

"It's for grading. I thought your red quill was probably worn out by now." Harry ducked out of the way of the light stinging hex sent at him.

Severus smirked. He did in fact need a new red quill. "I will be sure to put this to good use son, especially when marking your essays." He took the gifts Harry handed him and saw they were from Dumbledore and Minerva.

Harry looked on with interest. "What did Dumbledore get you this year?" Last year the Headmaster had given Severus Gryffindor colored slippers.

"Earmuffs." Severus shook his head distastefully as he pulled out the red and gold present.

Harry laughed and quickly opened his own gift from Dumbledore. Just as he expected, they were silver and green earmuffs. "I think next year we should just open each other's gifts from him."

Severus chuckled. "Sounds like a plan." He raised an eyebrow when he opened a box that was also from Albus and saw that it contained some rare potion ingredients. "He certainly makes up for his little joke gifts." He commented with satisfaction. His present from Minerva consisted of some new potion books as well as a book on being a parent to a teenager. Very funny Minerva, he thought with some amusement.

Harry opened Hermione's gift which was a very realistic figurine of Buckbeak. "Cool." Harry murmured. He opened his next present and grinned when he saw that it was several books in the young wizarding series that Harry had gotten hooked on last year. "Thanks Dad! I love this series!"

"I know you do." Severus smirked. He had introduced the series to Harry last Christmas and his son had devoured the books. It didn't surprise Severus as Lily had been an avid reader and he was a reader himself.

Harry opened presents that contained new clothes, a chess board, and a drawing set full of colored quills for drawing, paints, sketching charcoal, a sharpener and a blending stick. "Wow Dad!"

"I thought it would be good for your doodling." Severus took a sip of his cider. He was enjoying watching Harry open his presents, seeing his child happy was the best gift he could ever receive. "I believe you have two more."

Harry opened his next present and found a new pair of Quidditch gloves. "Thanks! Mine were getting pretty worn."

"Yes, I noticed." Severus drawled lazily. He leaned forward as Harry opened his last present. This gift was in place of the Firebolt he had intended to buy his son. It had been difficult to get, especially on short notice.

Harry stared at the large, thick book. "Quidditch through the Generations." He whispered in awe. This was a rare book and there were only limited editions of it. It had at least three times the information and pictures that Quidditch through the Ages had. Ron had told him about once. "I can't believe it! Thank you so much Dad!" He jumped up to hug Severus.

Severus returned the hug. "I am pleased you like it."

"Like it? I love it!" Harry grinned. He pulled back from the hug and grabbed the last present under the tree. "From me to you."

Severus stared at the red and gold wrapping. "Love the colors Harry." He commented, grinning when his son laughed. He opened the present and gave a low whistle at the beautiful pocket watch. "Harry, this is wonderful!"

"Turn it over."

Severus read the back and immediately pulled Harry into another hug. "I love it son, thank you. And I love you."

"I love you too." Harry whispered into his Dad's shoulder. "Thank you for all my presents. I don't deserve-"

"Yes you do." Severus said, gently pulling Harry back and staring at him.

"I mean, after how I have been acting-" Harry tried again.

"Harry." Severus said in exasperation. "You're forgiven remember? Let that go now. And just because you make mistakes, or act out from time to time does not mean you do not deserve nice things."

Harry relaxed. "Thank you." He said again.

"And thank _you_." Severus held up his pocket watch. "I will cherish this." He stood up and banished all the wrapping paper. "How about some breakfast?"

"Waffles?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Don't you ever get tired of waffles?" Severus asked.

"No." Harry said honestly and his Dad laughed.

"Waffles it is then." Severus said as he walked into the kitchen.

Harry settled on the sofa and opened his new Quidditch book. Just like last year, it had been a perfect Christmas.

**TBC: Reviews are very much appreciated!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and adds!**

Christmas dinner at the Weasley house was once again a lively affair with a table full of delicious food made by Mrs. Weasley. Harry had brought his Quidditch book and after dinner he, Ron, the twins and Ginny were pouring over it. Ron had practically hyperventilated when he had seen the rare book. Percy had just rolled his eyes as he thought Quidditch was a waste of time and chose to sit with his older brothers, Bill and Charlie, listening to them share interesting stories about their jobs.

Severus sat with Arthur and Molly, drinking coffee and talking about the ministry's efforts to find Sirius Black.

"How does he keep evading everyone?" Molly asked in frustration. "When I found out he had been in the boys' dorm, I almost pulled the children out of Hogwarts!"

"I don't blame you; I myself did move Harry out of the dorms." Severus said quietly. "There have been protective measures put on the Gryffindor dorms but I feel better having Harry with me."

"This whole situation has been a nightmare. The ministry is growing very frustrated with the lack of progress in finding Black." Arthur sighed. "They don't understand how he is able to hide from the Dementors."

Severus scowled. "I wish the ministry would take those creatures away from the castle. They cause more danger in my opinion." Especially to my son, he thought sadly.

"I agree." Molly said quietly. Her heart had almost broken when Ron had told her what happened to Harry when a Dementor got too close to him. "Severus, do you really think Sirius sent the Firebolt?" She suddenly asked.

Severus snorted. "You heard about that did you?"

Arthur chuckled. "Oh yes. Ron sent us a letter asking us to talk some sense into you. I had to stop Molly from sending a howler to him in response."

"I did send him a letter telling him exactly what I thought of his caring so much about a broom rather than his friend's welfare." Molly said grimly.

Severus raised an eyebrow in approval. "Thank you, I appreciate that. It took awhile but Harry accepted my decision about the broom. He knows I am trying to keep him safe."

Molly's expression softened. "He looks so happy Severus. So do you, if you don't mind my saying."

"I am happy." Severus nodded, his eyes finding his son who was laughing with his friends. "Harry is everything to me. The only thing that would complete my happiness is if Lily were here."

"She would be proud of you both." Arthur said with a sad smile.

Severus cleared his throat. "Yes well, I appreciate how much you care for Harry and for letting the both of us join you on Christmas once again."

Molly smiled softly. She knew the potions master was not used to sharing his emotions with other people. "We care for both of you." She corrected him as she refilled his coffee cup. "And we love having the two of you here. You _are_ honorary Weasley's after all." She teased.

Severus refrained from rolling his eyes as he remembered the twins wanting to refer to him as "Uncle" when he had been in disguise in Hogsmeade. "Lovely." He took a sip of his coffee, ignoring Arthur and Molly's laughter. He set down his cup. "I do have something to ask you."

"Yes?" Arthur asked interestedly.

"I was hoping the two of you would agree to be Harry's godparents." Severus said slowly. He didn't want them to feel pressured to say yes. "I know he considers you family and I trust you to take care of him if something were to happen to me. If you need time to think it over-"

Molly's eyes immediately filled with tears and Arthur grinned. "Of course we will be his godparents!" Molly cried, grabbing Severus's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"We would be honored." Arthur added. "Like my wife said, you are honorary Weasley's. You're family to us now."

Severus merely nodded as he picked up his cup and took another sip of coffee. "Thank you." He said finally. "We-we feel the same about you." He admitted and sighed at the happy looks on Molly and Arthur's faces. "However, I refuse to be called Uncle by your children."

**HPHPHPHP**

"This is the most amazing book ever." Ron said as he flipped through Quidditch through the Generations.

Harry laughed. "You look like Hermione when she read Hogwarts, a History."

"No comparison mate. _This_ book is actually interesting." Ron stayed riveted on the page he was reading. He briefly looked up. "You are going to bring this to school right?" He asked anxiously.

"Of course." Harry knew he would have a hard time reading his school books when he had this masterpiece to read through.

Ginny peered over Ron's shoulder. "Wow, look at some of the flying moves this book illustrates! Are you going to try any of these Harry?"

Harry nodded until he saw his Dad's frown. Darn his immaculate hearing, Harry thought with a sigh. "Um, only under proper supervision." He grinned at his Dad who snorted and rolled his eyes in response.

"Mum, can we have a snowball fight?" Fred eagerly called out.

Molly looked out the window with a frown. "How about if I charm snow in the house like last year? It's dark and cold out."

"Aw, you can cast light around and we can all have warming charms. In the house we have to be careful." George whined.

"What's the point of a snowball fight-"

"If you have to watch where you throw?"

Molly sighed. "All right, but warming charms and extra warm clothes for all of you." She said sternly.

The twins whooped. "Harry and Ron are on our team!" Fred grinned. "Bill, Charlie, Ginny and Percy on the other!"

"I'm not playing in some silly snowball fight." Percy sniffed.

"Oh come one Percy. It's Christmas." Charlie said as he stood up. "You can finally get even with the twins for every prank they've ever pulled."

Bill pulled Percy up out of his seat. "Come little brother, we have a game to win!"

An hour later the Weasley children and Harry walked in wet from the snow, shivering despite the warming charm and with happy smiles on their faces.

"We won!" Ron gloated as his mother began fussing over them, casting drying charms and warming charms.

Severus did the same with Harry and wrapped in him an extra thick blanket that he had transfigured from a spare bit of wrapping paper. He suggested warm drinks and Molly agreed, though she refused his offer to help make them.

"It was great Dad!" Harry said enthusiastically as he sipped his hot cocoa once they had all seated at the table. "You should have played with us!"

Severus narrowed his eyes at the Weasley children snickering at the thought of him playing in a snowball fight. "It sounds like you had enough fun for both of us. Although, the thought of burying some of my students in the snow has some merit." He smirked.

Ron paled and exchanged nervous looks with his siblings. Severus smiled in satisfaction and turned back to his son. "It is getting late. Once you are done with your drink we should be going." He informed him.

Harry protested but Severus could see the day's events were catching up with his son by the tired look in those green eyes. Indeed, by the time they stepped from the floo into their own sitting room Severus was practically holding Harry up. I guess this is one time Harry won't be fighting sleep, he thought in amusement as he transfigured Harry's clothes into his pajamas. He tucked his child into bed. "I had a good Christmas." Harry mumbled sleepily. "Love you." He was soon fast asleep.

Severus's heart swelled. "I love you too Harry." He whispered. He left the room and went into his own. He picked up a picture frame that held a picture of Lily. "He is such a great kid Lily." He whispered to her smiling photo. "You would be so proud of the young man he is turning into." He set the frame down and turned in for the night.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry would have been content to spend the rest of his vacation reading his new books and flying but he eventually had to take time and tackle his homework. He chose to sit in the sitting room as it felt good with the fire going. The work from McGonagall didn't take too long and he had finished that yesterday but his Dad's essay was another story. He felt like he would never finish.

"Most unfair, cruel essay ever." Harry muttered and he once again wished he had started earlier.

"What was that?" Severus asked from across the room with a knowing smile.

"Uh, nothing." Harry said hastily. "Can I look through the books in our library?"

"May I." Severus corrected. "And of course you may."

Harry scanned the shelves and pulled out two books that looked like they would be helpful to his essay topic. His Dad may assign difficult essays but at least Harry was able to take advantage of their well equipped library. He worked for another half hour and then groaned. "I need a break."

"So take one." Severus said as he took a sip of his Earl Grey tea. He was sitting in his favorite chair as he graded papers.

Harry eagerly threw down his half written essay and went to stand expectantly in front of his father.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Do you want to play a game of chess with me?" Harry asked brightly. He wanted to use his new chess set he had received for Christmas. "You could probably use a break too."

"From grading these dunderheaded written essays? Yes, I suppose I could." Severus agreed with a smirk. "Only a couple of games and then it is back to work for both of us."

"Okay." Harry agreed easily as he got the board ready. He made his first move on the board and five games later he was back working on his essay.

"Your chess skills have improved greatly." Severus commented as he continued to mark papers. He scowled deeply at the essay he was currently grading. Apparently the student hadn't felt like reading the required chapters. His new red quill would be getting a lot of use today.

"You really think so?" Harry perked up. "I still haven't been able to beat Ron but I think I've stumped him a couple of times."

"You'll get there." Severus assured him. "How is your essay going?"

"It's getting there. Third year potions is tough." Harry complained.

"Just wait until fourth year potions." Severus remarked with a smirk. He hid a grin at the look of alarm on Harry's face. "All of your classes are going to get harder which is why developing good time management and study skills are important."

Harry gave a long sigh. "I'm supposed to have a two week break from Professor lectures." He said jokingly.

"I am not lecturing you as your Professor." Severus sniffed. "I am lecturing you as your Dad, just as I will be looking over your homework as your Dad."

Harry made a face his Dad couldn't see. That meant corrections would be coming his way after he was done. "You mean as a Dad who is a Professor." He smiled innocently at his Dad's pretend glare and continued working on his essay.

What seemed like an eternity to Harry but was really only an hour later, Harry finished and stood up. "Finally, I'm done!"

"Leave it on the table for me to look at." Severus instructed. "As well as your Transfiguration homework."

"Yes Dad." Harry said with a sigh. "Can I – I mean, may I go flying?"

"Yes you may. I will be keeping an eye on you so no crazy stunts on your broom." Severus warned. He watched Harry run outside a moment later with his broom in hand. He sighed in contentment, wishing the vacation was longer. After all the tension that had occurred between him and Harry it was nice to be away from Hogwarts and at their cottage. Things were back to normal, well as normal as things got for them. Now he just needed Black caught and to find Voldemort while he was still weak and imprison him. Hopefully Lucius would help with that.

Over dinner Severus shared the news of the Weasley's being Harry's godparents. "Do you approve? I trust them to always be there for you whenever you need them." Severus explained.

Harry's face lit up. It was like having an extended family! "I think that's brilliant Dad!" He grinned.

Severus nodded, pleased the happy smile on Harry's face. Unfortunately that look didn't last when Harry noticed all the red ink on his homework and realized he had to redo his assignments. Severus ignored the heavy sighs that kept coming from his son and settled into his chair to read his potion's journal while Harry worked. He felt quite happy with their holiday and wished he could keep Harry safe here at the Cottage until Black was caught.

**HPHPHPHP**

Upon their return to Hogwarts, Harry once again found himself in the middle of Ron and Hermione's argument over their familiars. He had joined his friends' who were standing at the bottom of the staircase.

"Scabbers has been a nervous wreck!" Ron insisted.

"He hasn't even been near Crookshanks for the past two weeks." Hermione pointed out.

"He's a smart rat; he knew he would be seeing that menace of a cat again." Ron snapped.

"A smart rat." Hermione scoffed. She shook her head. "I've told you, it's a cat's natural instinct-"

"I don't care. Keep Crookshanks away." Ron interrupted.

"Geez, you two sound like an old married couple."

Harry turned and saw Draco saunter up to them. "I have to agree with Granger." He continued.

"Ha, see?" Hermione said triumphantly to Ron.

"Yeah, like I care about Malfoy's opinion." Ron muttered.

"How was your Christmas?" Harry asked Draco politely.

"Excellent as usual. Once again I got more presents than I know what to do with." Draco said in his usual arrogant tone.

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, but did you get Quidditch through the Generations?"

Draco stared at the red-head. "No, that is a really rare book." He said slowly. "Did you receive that book for Christmas?" He sounded shocked.

"No, I didn't." Ron admitted. He grinned. "Harry did though."

Draco whirled around to stare at Harry. "You have that book? Really? Is it here at school? May I look through it? I'll be really careful."

Harry shared an amused look with his friends at Draco's pleading tone. "Hmm…" He pretended to look hesitant.

"I'll pay." Draco quickly offered.

"Deal!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry gave Ron a withering look. "You don't need to pay. You can look through it with us." He said to Draco.

Draco's eyes widened slightly in surprise but he nodded. "Thank you Potter." He turned to leave and then stopped. "Um, thank you for the Christmas present as well." He said uncomfortably. He had been shocked to receive a gift from Potter.

Harry smiled and shrugged. "You're welcome. I'll bring the book to the library after dinner."

"See you there then." Draco brightened and walked away to join Pansy and Blaise.

"You gave that prat a present?" Ron made a face.

"It was just some candy. He's been a lot better Ron. He helped saved Buckbeak." Harry reminded him.

"What if it is a trick or something?" Ron asked seriously. "He is a Malfoy after all."

"Malfoy really seems to be trying to change though." Hermione spoke up.

"Just because he agreed with you-" Ron started.

"I think he has changed." Harry quickly said. "I mean, I don't trust him or anything but if he is trying then I think we should too." Seeing Hagrid he told Ron and Hermione he would see them at dinner and left them to their arguing, which he could hear them continue as he walked away.

"Hagrid, how is Snuffles?" He asked eagerly when he had reached him.

"Snuffles is doin' great." Hagrid assured Harry. "But I haven' had any luck findin' his owners. I don't think he has any."

Harry thought for a second. "I'm going to ask my Dad if we can keep him." He decided.

Hagrid raised an eyebrow. "Do ya think he'll let ya?"

"Well…" Harry trailed off. His Dad hadn't even met Snuffles yet but he was sure he would love the stray dog. "If he says yes, can Snuffles stay with you during the school year? I'll go to your hut to take care of him." He looked hopefully at Hagrid. If his Dad did say yes, he knew Snuffles wouldn't be welcome in their quarters.

Hagrid chuckled. "Sure thing 'Arry. Good luck."

Harry grinned. Now he just had to get his Dad to say yes!

**TBC: Pretty please review if you get a chance? =) **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

"Please? Please can I?" Harry pleaded. "I'll take care of him, honest!"

Severus frowned and put down the potions magazine he had been reading. "Harry, I have no idea what you are even talking about." He said.

"Oh." Harry blushed as he realized he had burst into their quarters without even explaining that Hagrid had not found Snuffles owners. "Um, sorry. Hagrid said he tried to find Snuffles owners but it doesn't appear that he has any. So can we keep him?" He asked eagerly.

Severus made a face. He had been hoping that Hagrid would find the mutt's owners so that he wouldn't have to make this very decision. "You already have Hedwig Harry." He replied carefully.

"I know. I still love Hedwig and will take care of her." Harry responded. "But I want Snuffles too. He needs a home. Please?" He gave his Dad a pleading look.

Severus sighed. "A dog in our quarters? I do not think so." He could just imagine the havoc that the dog would create by knocking over his books, tearing up the furniture and Merlin forbid if the mutt got into his lab.

Harry bit his lip. "Well, I already asked Hagrid if Snuffles could stay with him while we are at school and that I would go over there to play with him and help feed him. And we have a big yard at the cottage for him to play in. Maybe we could bring him inside if we made up a special room for him there?" He gave his Dad his best puppy dog eyes.

Severus narrowed his own eyes, trying not to be amused at his son's wheedling. And the way he was staring at him with those sad emerald eyes, the child was truly his mother's son. "I'll think about it." He said finally. Seeing the disappointed look on Harry's face he added, "Give me the night to think it over and to talk with Hagrid all right?"

Harry smiled slowly. That was as good as a yes in his book. He was going to get to keep Snuffles! "Thank you." He said happily.

"It's not a yes yet Harry." Severus warned though he knew he would likely let Harry keep the blasted dog. His son had had a rough year and this would help cheer him up. Besides, having a dog would teach Harry responsibility. Severus inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. Yeah right. He would allow it just to see that smile on his son's face.

"This will be great!" Harry said excitedly, obviously knowing it was a done deal. "I always wanted a dog. I remember Dudley asking for one and Aunt Petunia actually said no to him, claiming dogs were too messy. Then Uncle Vernon said they already had me for a dog and that cheered Dudley up. Instead of just ordering me to make dinner, it was go _fetch_ dinner. Or instead of telling me to go to my cupboard, it was go to your doghouse." Harry didn't even realize he was babbling on about the Dursley's, he was so excited about keeping Snuffles.

Severus just stared at his son. Ever since he had run into the Dursley's this past summer, he was bringing up his time with them more and more. He had tried talking to Harry about his childhood many times before and Harry had told him some things but never really liked to elaborate. Severus closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted Harry to feel he could open up about his childhood anytime he needed to though it was hard for Severus to hear. They had thought they were doing the right thing by using the memory charm but Lily had died and his son had suffered for so long. "Harry." Severus said quietly.

"Yeah?" Harry looked up from the list he was making of things they would need for Snuffles.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked gently.

"Yes, why?" Harry asked, perplexed. Then he realized he what he had said about the Dursley's and he blushed slightly. "Don't worry, the dog jokes only lasted for a little while." He shrugged.

"That doesn't make me feel better Harry." Severus shook his head. "I am so sorry for how they treated you."

Harry fiddled with his parchment that he had been writing his list on. "You've more than made up for it." He said sincerely.

Severus just smiled sadly. He doubted he could ever make up for those horrible years Harry had spent with the Dursley's. All he could do now was care for Harry to the best of his ability's and show him all the love and care he could. "You are an amazing kid. I hope you realize that." He said finally.

Harry couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Thanks Dad." He said. "So….when do you want to meet Snuffles?"

**HPHPHPHP**

Later that day Severus and Harry went to Hagrid's hut where his Dad talked to the gamekeeper. Afterwards Harry convinced his father to finally meet their new dog. Severus looked down at the dog with some disdain. "Mangy little thing." He commented.

Snuffles growled and Severus narrowed his eyes at the stray.

"Snuffles behave." Harry admonished. "Honesty Dad, he's a good dog. You just have to get to know him. And he does need some fattening up…and perhaps a bath."

Snuffles had still been growling slightly at Severus but raised his head in horror at the mention of a bath.

Severus nodded in agreement. "If he is going to live with us I expect you to be responsible for his grooming, feeding and exercise."

Harry's emerald eyes lit up in excitement. "So we can keep him for sure?"

"I suppose." Severus sighed. He gave a rueful smile as Harry gave a happy shout and hugged Snuffles. Personally there was something about the dog he didn't like but that could be because he was more of a cat person. As long as Snuffles showed no aggression to Harry he would put up with the animal. Harry deserved some happiness.

"He stays with Hagrid while we are at school and I will give Hagrid some money for his food." Severus continued. Hagrid had been more than happy to help out with Snuffles so that Harry could keep him.

"He can go with us when we go to the cottage right?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yes." Severus said reluctantly. "You better start training him." He warned.

"I think he was already trained." Harry informed his father. "Watch." He turned to Snuffles. "Sit!"

Snuffles sat.

"Lie down and roll over!"

Snuffles obediently lay down and then rolled over, then looked at Harry expectantly.

"Play dead." Severus joked. He was shocked when Snuffles gave a snort and flopped over, eyes shut and tongue hanging out. "Impressive." He murmured.

Snuffles got up and stared at Severus, his pink tongue sticking straight out.

Harry began laughing. "It looks like he is sticking his tongue out at you!" He giggled.

Severus rolled his eyes. "It figures, a cheeky son and now a cheeky dog." He ruffled his son's hair and laughed when Harry ducked away and smoothed it back down. Neither one noticed the growl Snuffles gave when Severus had said the word _son_.

**HPHPHPHP**

Everyone settled back into the routine of classes and homework and soon Harry was asking his Dad about resuming his Patronus lessons.

"I was planning on having another lesson with you tomorrow but I have a meeting I need to go to." Severus said when Harry approached him in the Great Hall after dinner. He was meeting with Lucius tomorrow to discuss finding Voldemort.

Harry sighed in disappointment. "Okay."

"I could give him a lesson."

Severus turned and glared at Remus, who was standing behind them with a kind smile. "That won't be necessary." He replied stiffly. He didn't fully trust Lupin and he couldn't help but remember how Harry had ended up in the infirmary the last time he had faced a boggart under Lupin's supervision.

"Aww, why not Dad? I really want to try and cast a Patronus again." Harry said eagerly.

Remus cleared his throat. "I'll be careful Severus." He said quietly. "I'll stop the boggart if it becomes too much for him."

Harry frowned. "I won't faint again." He muttered in embarrassment. "And Professor Lupin teaches me in Defense so why not this?" He looked at his Dad curiously.

Because I don't like him, Severus was almost tempted to say. He debated for a moment and then gave a curt nod. "Very well then."

Remus smiled brightly. "Thank you Severus. You can come to my classroom after breakfast tomorrow Harry. I can also share some memories of your Mother and James."

Harry remembered Professor Lupin offering to do that when he had first met him. "That would be brilliant!"

Severus gently pushed Harry towards the door. "Go catch up with your friends." He told Harry and then said over his shoulder, "He will see you tomorrow."

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco spent the evening in the library looking through Harry's Quidditch book again. Actually, only Harry, Ron and Draco were looking through the book. Hermione was working her way through her pile of homework.

"Blimey, some of these moves are incredible." Draco muttered as he viewed the pictures.

Ron nodded eagerly, momentarily forgetting he didn't like Draco. "Can you imagine being a famous Quidditch player and making up new, brilliant moves that will become legendary?" He sighed at the thought.

"It would be brilliant." Harry agreed.

Hermione gave a loud sigh as she scribbled on her parchment.

"Maybe I should try some of these moves during our match against Ravenclaw." Harry mused as he turned the page of his book.

Ron snickered. "Your Dad would kill you."

Draco nodded in agreement. "He would, he always is strict on how the Slytherin team needs to play well but be safe in doing so."

"You just don't want Harry to try these moves because then he will be even better than you than he already is." Ron scoffed.

"I'm a good flyer Weasley." Draco snapped. "I've helped my team win plenty of games."

"Not against Gryffindor." Ron taunted.

"Hey, none of that." Harry frowned. He didn't want a fight to break out.

Hermione cleared her throat loudly as she flipped through one of her massive books.

"I'm still reading that section." Ron snarled when Draco tried to turn the page.

"Merlin Weasley, I didn't know you were such a slow reader." Draco pretended to look thoughtful. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've seen some of your grades when we get our essays back in class."

Ron's face began to turn red with anger. "Listen you slimy snake-"

Hermione slammed her book shut. "Would you two knock it off?" She said in frustration. "_Some_ of us are trying to do our homework." She gave them a pointed look. "As the rest of you should be doing."

"Is she always such a nag?" Draco muttered to Harry.

"Oi!" Ron pulled out his wand and pointed in at Draco. "Harry and I can call her that because we are her best friends. You, on the other hand, do not have that privilege."

"Put your wand down Ron!" Harry hissed, looking around to make sure Madam Pince hadn't seen. "Let's just-"

"Why is he here anyway? We let him join us last night as it was." Ron grumbled as he put his wand away.

Harry sighed. "Come on you guys. Let's just enjoy looking through my book okay?" He pleaded. He looked at Hermione and frowned at all the books and papers she had strewn about. She looked quite frazzled. "Hermione, are you sure you aren't overworking yourself?"

"I'm fine!" Hermione snapped. "I just need to concentrate and you three won't be quiet! This is a library you know."

"Honestly Hermione, you need to relax a bit." Ron rolled his eyes. "You're more uptight than usual. What gives?"

Hermione huffed and began gathering her things. "I'm going to go and do my work in the Tower. You three just keep drooling over that silly book."

"It's not silly." Harry protested.

"Only Granger could ruin the fun of looking through a rare Quidditch book." Draco sniffed as he also stood up. "I'll be on my way before you two start arguing about your familiars again."

"Good riddance to both of you." Ron muttered as he pulled the Quidditch book closer to himself.

"And to think I helped you with that oaf Hagrid." Draco sighed. "And this is how I get treated."

"Don't call Hagrid that!" Hermione snapped.

Draco looked at her in amusement. "Well, he is. Maybe I shouldn't have had my Dad stop the execution." He said grumpily. "At least it would have been entertaining, especially watching that overgrown simpleton bawl his eyes out!" He laughed at the thought.

Thwack!

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione in shock. She had just punched Malfoy! Draco also stared at the girl in shock.

Hermione looked surprised herself but then shrugged. "Well, that felt good." She said sheepishly.

"Not to me! What did you do that for?" Draco complained, feeling his nose to make sure it wasn't broken.

Hermione threw up her hands. "You're being mean. That was a horrible thing to say!"

"It was just a comment." He snapped, though he had to admit he was also a little impressed. "Besides, you have been bad-tempered yourself! And you just punched me which isn't exactly a nice thing to do!"

Hermione flushed slightly. "True." She admitted with a sigh. Warily, she looked to see if anyone had seen her hit Draco. Thankfully no one had but she knew if he told she would get detention at the very least.

Ron still looked shocked. "That was bloody brilliant Hermione! Do it again!"

"Ronald!" Hermione huffed, though her eyes showed some amusement.

Draco glared at Ron and then narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "You'll be in detention for the rest of the year Granger." He threatened.

"No she won't because you aren't going to tell." Harry said cheerfully. "I mean, do you really want everyone to know that you were hit by a girl?"

Draco paled.

Hermione slowly smiled. "A muggle-born girl at that." She added sweetly.

Draco crossed his arms. "Fine." He bit out.

Hermione's face softened. "I am sorry I hit you Draco." She said softly, rubbing her hand over her face. "I'm stressed out with my classes." She admitted. "Now that the holidays are over they have gotten even more intense."

"You're taking too many subjects Hermione." Harry said with a shake of his head. "I don't know how you can attend all of the classes."

"It's complicated." Hermione said uncomfortably. She picked up her bag. "I'll see you guys later. Again, I apologize Draco." She quickly left.

Draco felt his still tender nose. "She has a strong arm." He commented.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and began laughing and soon even Draco joined in.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus apparated to the Malfoy manor, which was as expansive and elegant as he remembered it to be. He knocked on the door and a moment later house-elf led him into the dining area.

"Severus." Lucius stood, dressed in fancy robes. "It is good to see you old friend." The house-elf brought in a tray with tea and set it down on the table.

Severus raised an eye-brow. "Is it? The last time we saw each other you were not exactly pleasant."

Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "That is neither here nor there. I was upset and felt betrayed."

"Excuse me?"

"You and I were friends Severus. At least I thought we were. Once you remembered you were father to the boy-who-lived why did you not tell me?" Lucius asked, his gray eyes dark. "I had to read about it like I was some regular person."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Arrogant as ever." His eyes darkened. "You sent that journal of Voldemort's into the school and it nearly killed two students, one being my son. You then got angry because you knew I was not a devoted Death Eater. Why in the world should I ever trust you?"

Lucius stiffened. "Indeed, I planted the diary with the Weasley girl. However, I never wanted the Dark Lord to be able to come back. I didn't even know that would be a possibility with the diary. I merely wanted to get Arthur Weasley out of the ministry as he has done nothing but cause trouble for me." He sighed. "I acted upset by the thought that you were not a follower to see if _you_ indeed were truly not a Death Eater."

"Interesting. However, I will need to make sure of that." Severus pulled out a small vial filled with a clear liquid and handed it to Lucius.

Lucius eyed the vial carefully. "Veritaserum." He stated.

Severus nodded. "Freshly made." He leaned back in his seat causally and waited. He had spent the last month brewing a batch. The only things that could counter the potion was the antidote which had to be taken after ingesting it and Occlumency. Severus knew Lucius was not an Occlumens. "Three drops worth."

Lucius drummed his fingers on the table. He didn't like the idea of not being in control of what he said. But he disliked the idea of the Dark Lord returning to full power and controlling his family's life even more. He uncorked the vial and poured it into his tea. The two men sat in silence while Lucius drank enough of the tea for the potion to take effect.

Severus waited a few minutes while he sipped his own cup of tea. He set his cup down and leaned forward in his seat. "Now we can talk."

**TBC:**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

"First things first." Severus said as he took another sip of his tea. "Is that your natural hair color?" He resisted the urge to laugh at the dark look on Lucius's face.

Lucius's eyes narrowed. He felt the pull to answer truthfully. "Yes, although now I add a color enhancement solution to it." He flushed with embarrassment and glared at Severus.

"Really?" Severus drawled in amusement. "Fascinating. Going gray haired already?" He asked in mock sympathy.

"Yes!" Lucius snapped, again feeling that pull to tell the truth. "Stop this and ask your real questions!"

"Oh, that was a real question. I have wondered that for quite awhile." Severus smirked. His face became serious. "Are you still a Death Eater?"

"No." Lucius answered promptly. "Not anymore."

"Why not? What changed your mind?"

"My family." Lucius said, looking at Severus evenly. "I do not want them harmed and I do not want a Death Eater's life for my son."

"Do you wish for Voldemort to ever return?" Severus asked, noting the wince Lucius made when he said the name.

"No I do not. He was insane." Lucius said in disgust. "Torturing his own followers for his own enjoyment? Wasting time causing mayhem? I thought he actually had an actual cause to fight for and instead he just enslaved us to him." He cast his left arm a dark look.

Severus nodded. Though there were some who eagerly followed Voldemort no matter what he did, there were others who didn't know exactly what they were getting into. If Severus had not had Lily in his life, he probably would have truly joined as well instead of only joining to become a spy for the light. "Do you plan to harm my son? The Weasley's? Myself?"

"I do not." Lucius said. "Despite how I acted last year, your son made the Dark Lord disappear which means safety for my family. As for the Weasley's, I wanted to cause trouble at work for Arthur but I wouldn't actually hurt them physically. They are pure-bloods after all."

"You still believe pure-bloods are better than half-bloods or muggle borns?"

"Of course!" Lucius snorted. "We are superior after all."

"You are aware that the top of the third year class at Hogwarts is a muggle born correct?" Severus asked innocently, knowing this would be a sore spot with Malfoy. He was not surprised that Malfoy truly believed that pure-bloods were better. The arrogance of the man was astounding.

Lucius scowled. "Yes, I am aware." He said through gritted teeth.

"Did you know that Voldemort is a half-blood himself?" Severus watched in satisfaction as Lucius's mouth dropped open.

"No, I certainly did not." Lucius said, his silver eyes narrowed.

Severus couldn't help but grin for a second and then schooled his face into impassive features. "Will you help me and the Headmaster find Voldemort before he returns to full power?"

"Yes." Lucius said. "I feel the mark on my arm, a slight burn at times. He is trying to come back and I fear it will be soon, especially with Black on the loose."

"Yes." Severus murmured. "Did you know Sirius Black was in league with Voldemort?" He asked curiously.

"No, that came as quite a surprise to me." Lucius snorted. "I never knew Black could be such a cold blooded killer."

"I did." Severus muttered, thinking of his near death experience in school. He knew the Veritaserum would be wearing off soon. "If I asked, would you make an Unbreakable Vow to help find and imprison Voldemort for good?"

Lucius took a deep breath. Unbreakable Vows were not something to play around with, they were serious. "Yes." He knew he wasn't a kind or even good man but he did love his family and he wanted a better future for them.

Severus nodded approvingly. "Before we move on, in seventh year when you and Narcissa broke up did she really beg you to take her back?"

"No, I begged her on bended knees to take me back." Lucius answered and then shook his head as he felt the pull to tell the truth finally leave him. He glared at Severus. "That was very amusing Snape. I hope you enjoyed that."

"I did, it is definitely something to save in my pensive." Severus said in a gleeful tone.

"You are a cruel and evil man." Lucius complained.

"Hmm most of my students would agree with that." Severus smiled in satisfaction. "Now, shall we get down to business?"

**HPHPHPHP**

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery wisp chased the Dementor back into the trunk and Remus shut the lid down. "Wonderful Harry!" He beamed.

Harry sighed and slumped into a chair. "It still won't take an actual form." He cringed at the whine in his voice.

Remus didn't seem to notice. "Give yourself time. You are doing remarkably well." He handed Harry a bar of chocolate and then sat opposite of him. "Let's take a break shall we?"

Harry nodded, feeling a little drained from the magic he had been doing. "So, are you going to tell me about my Mum? And James?" He popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

Remus nodded and a smile spread across his face. "They were both exceptional people. They were smart, talented, and popular. Your mother was one of the kindest people I had ever met. She was a good friend to me during a difficult time." Remus said softly.

"She sounds amazing." Harry said softly.

Remus nodded. "She was." He laughed. "She hated James for most of Hogwarts, though they became friends later on."

"Why did she hate him?" Harry asked.

"Oh, James liked to be the center of attention and also pull pranks." Remus rolled his eyes good naturedly. "We were well known pranksters at Hogwarts."

"Like the Weasley twins?" Harry asked.

Remus frowned. "Well, sort of. Sometimes James and Sirius could go too far with the pranks. That is what caused James and Severus to not get along."

"You guys pranked my Dad?" Harry asked with wide eyes. He looked thoughtful. "My Dad said that he and James didn't get along in school and that was why without his memories he didn't like me. You know, since I looked like James."

"Yes, James didn't like him and vice versa. Sirius especially didn't like Severus as he was in Slytherin." Remus said and a faraway look came into his soft brown eyes. "Sirius came from a family of Slytherins and was cast aside from his family when he was sorted into Gryffindor. He hated anything associated with the Dark Arts."

"You sound like you feel sorry for him." Harry commented.

"I did." Remus admitted. "He wasn't treated well at home and ended up basically moving in with the Potters. That's why it is so hard to believe…" He trailed off.

"That he betrayed James?" Harry supplied with a sigh. He gave Remus a sympathetic look. "That must have been hard for you, to lose them both the same night."

Remus nodded. "It was. Another friend was lost that night as well, Peter Pettigrew."

"So what kinds of pranks were played on my Dad?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, the usual mainly. There were jinxes to change his hair color, making the floor slippery where he walked down the corridor so he slipped, levitating him upside down…" He cleared his throat.

Harry frowned. That didn't sound like pranks. It sounded more like bullying. It made him think of Dudley, or even how Malfoy used to treat him. "What did you do when this was happening?"

Remus looked embarrassed. "I didn't do anything. I should have, especially when your Dad almost died…" His eyes widened when he realized what he had said.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "What? My Dad almost died? How?"

Remus bit his lip. "Well, it was a prank Sirius did that could have resulted in Severus getting severely hurt or worse. James stopped it just in time." Stopped him from facing me as a wolf, he thought guiltily.

Harry stood up. "So my Dad was bullied all through school, to the point where he was almost killed?" His face darkened.

"Yes Harry but we were young and foolish." Remus said urgently. "I regret my part in it immensely."

"You should." Harry muttered. "Picking on someone simply because they were in a House you didn't like?'

"He hung out with Lucius Malfoy and his cronies and they were from known to be into the Dark Arts." Remus tried to explain. He sighed when he saw the anger on Harry's face. "Believe me; I am not proud of how we acted. And James did apologize to your Dad after school. Your Dad even trusted him enough to keep you and your Mum safe."

Harry dropped back into his seat. "True." His heart hurt for his Dad. He had known that his Dad and James had not gotten along in school but had not known how badly his Dad had been treated. Just like Dudley and his gang of 'Harry Hunter's' he thought angrily. "I'm think I'm done for the day." He said as he stood up again.

"Harry, I'm sorry if I upset you." Remus said worriedly. "I didn't mean to."

Harry shrugged. "I know you didn't Professor. I'll see you later." Harry gave a tight smile and then left leaving Remus looking after him in concern.

**HPHPHPHP**

"We need to find the Dark Lord before Black does." Lucius said as he led Severus into his library.

"I believe Black's goal is to find my son before he finds Voldemort." Severus said in frustration.

Lucius looked thoughtful. "Perhaps he wishes to take your son to the Dark Lord. It would make him even more favorable." He pointed out.

Severus drew in a deep breath. That was a possibility. A frightening possibility. "Albus and I have been doing some research and there are whispers of a dark presence in Albania."

Lucius flipped through one of his books. "Albania is an area that is mostly secluded." He murmured as he looked at a map.

"There is a forest he is most likely hiding out in." Severus said as he pointed to a spot on the map. "How strong he is right now I do not know."

"Whatever he is, he is getting more powerful." Lucius said and looked up at Severus. "If one of his followers found him to help him how would he react?"

"With a crucio, if he can manage one, for not finding him twelve years ago and then a promise of a reward for helping him now." Severus said with certainty. "I'm sure he is aggravated that no one has bothered to try and find him."

"My sister-in-law would have." Lucius smirked. "If she wasn't locked up in Azkaban, that is."

"She was a crazy loon before Azkaban; I shudder to think what she is like now." Severus commented.

"I will put out some feelers to see if I can find out more about his location." Lucius said. "We need to make a plan for when I go to him. I have no intention of actually helping him so I will have to trust that I will have help." He raised an eye-brow.

"Albus is working on warding a special cell for Voldemort with the ministry." Severus informed him. "I am working on a potion that will weaken whatever strength he has. That combined with the cell should be enough to hold him."

"Why can we not simply kill him?" Lucius asked curiously.

"Voldemort took steps to ensure that he could not be killed. Albus has managed to counter some of those steps but not all of them. He is a little vague about it." Severus answered with a sigh. He looked out the window. "I have no doubt he will try and kill Harry again if he gets a chance. I will not let that happen."

Lucius nodded in understanding. He could empathize with wanting to save one's child.

"I will take my leave now." Severus said. "I will be in contact soon. The sooner we catch Voldemort, the safer we will all be." He paused in the doorway. "If you need help with a hair color potion, do let me know." He laughed as he dodged the hex Lucius sent his way.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus arrived at his quarters and was surprised to find his son sitting on the sofa, absently flipping through his Quidditch book. "Harry, how was your lesson with Lupin?" He asked as he looked at his son in concern. Harry was slightly pale and his eyes weren't really focused on his book.

Harry shrugged. "I can just do the silvery wisp; my Patronus doesn't have a form yet." He answered quietly.

"It takes time." Severus said, frowning in concern. "Is something wrong Harry?"

"They treated you like Dudley and his gang treated me." Harry said sadly. "James, Sirius Black, Professor Lupin and Peter Pettigrew played cruel pranks on you and almost got you killed!"

Severus stared at his son in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"Professor Lupin was telling me about James and Mum and he mentioned that Black almost got you killed and James saved you just in time." Harry sighed and closed his book. "I know you said you and James didn't get along but I didn't know it was that bad."

Severus sat next to his son and pulled him to his side. "I didn't go into the particulars as they are not exactly my happiest of memories." He admitted. "Yes, Black devised a prank that could have ended in my death and James pulled me back in time. I am grateful he did though at the time I figured he only did it so that Black wouldn't get into trouble."

"I hate bullies." Harry muttered.

Severus ran his hand through his son's hair. "I know." He said quietly. "But we are both okay now yes? We have each other."

Harry leaned into his Dad. "True." He sighed. "Professor Lupin said he just stood by most of the time and did nothing."

Severus sighed. Bloody wolf. "It can take great strength to stand up to your friends when you know they are doing the wrong thing. For some, that is hard to do as they fear losing their friends."

"Neville stood up to me, Ron and Hermione." Harry said. "Our first year, when he knew we were going to sneak out again."

"An act that shows why he is in Gryffindor." Severus admitted. "He is still quite hopeless at potions however." He relaxed at his son's giggle.

"How was your meeting?" Harry asked.

"Productive enough." Severus answered as he made a mental note to discuss the meeting with Lucius with Albus. "How about a game of chess?"

"Brilliant!" Harry said eagerly as he got up to set the board out. There was a knock on the door and he could hear his father talking to someone. He looked up when his Dad walked back in the room and his emerald eyes widened. His Dad had his firebolt!

"Professor McGonagall said it passed all the tests and is perfectly safe for flying." Severus said and handed the broom to his son.

"Wow, I can't believe it I got it back!" Harry exclaimed as he looked it over. It was the most amazing broom he had ever seen!

"I can keep it right?" Harry asked after a moment. He looked at his Dad. "I know I was a total prat before so I don't blame you if –"

"Harry, the broom is now yours." Severus interrupted. "Except for the next Hogsmeade trip which you will miss, we are done with the Firebolt issue." He gave his son a reassuring smile. "You have a game coming up with Ravenclaw correct? They won't know what hit them."

Harry laughed and practically hugged the broom. He couldn't wait to try it out!

**TBC: Hope you enjoyed!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and adds! I really appreciate them!**

"Good luck Harry!"

Harry waved at his friends as he headed to the Quidditch pitch.

"We don't need luck as long as we have you on that broom." Oliver said with a competitive gleam in his eyes. He had been thrilled to learn that Harry had received the Firebolt back and had even arranged extra practices so that Harry could get more adjusted to how the new broom moved.

Harry grinned as he mounted his broom and flew into the air when the whistle sounded. He loved being in the sky and the feeling of freedom that he got. The Firebolt flew like a dream although he had also enjoyed using his Grandfather's broom. Maybe he would alternate between them.

Harry cheered as one of the Weasley twins blocked a bludger and sent it towards the Ravenclaw players. He noticed the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, scanning the area for the golden snitch. She caught his eye and smiled a little. Harry blushed and looked away, focusing on the game. The snitch usually took awhile to show though he made sure to keep an eye out for it.

Gryffindor had been up by eighty points but Ravenclaw was starting to score more and soon they were only up by fifty points. Harry began flying back and forth as he looked for the snitch. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Cho Chang was now, instead of looking for the snitch, was following his movements. Harry mentally rolled his eyes at the usual ploy and pretended he saw the snitch, bursting ahead with Chang following closely behind. He laughed as he did a quick turn and went back to where he had been hovering, an innocent look on his face. He smirked when he saw Cho's scowl as she realized she had been tricked. He managed to pull the same scam fifteen minutes later and snickered when the Ravenclaw captain, Roger Davies, yelled at her to focus better. He felt a little bad and offered her an apologetic look to which she rolled her eyes and grinned sheepishly in response.

A flash of gold caught Harry's eye and suddenly all he could think of was catching the snitch and winning the game for Gryffindor. He pulled fast twists and turns as the snitch led him through the bleachers. He was momentarily distracted when he heard a shout and saw two Dementors crossing the pitch. He acted automatically and pulled his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" He didn't watch to see what happened, he simply concentrated and sped forward on the Firebolt. He reached out and grasped the little snitch, pulling his broom to an abrupt stop and holding the golden prize up in the air. Loud cheers and applause erupted and he lowered himself down to the ground with a huge grin on his face.

Harry noticed a small ground in the middle of the pitch and wondered what had happened with the Dementors. He hadn't heard any screams or felt the usual coldness and dread that he had before, which made him feel pretty proud of himself. The lessons must be working.

"Harry that was some great flying-"

"And casting! That was brilliant!"

Fred and George ran up to him and clapped him on the back. The rest of the team joined them and Oliver slung his arm around Harry's shoulders. "Another win! And I had no idea you could cast a Patronus. That was wicked!"

"Those morons didn't know what hit them!" Katie Bell added with a laugh.

"Morons?" Harry craned his neck and saw his father on the pitch. He looked furious.

"What were you thinking? Are you three insane?" Severus was yelling at Theo Nott, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. They were holding large black cloaks and had scared looks on their faces.

"I have never seen a more cowardice display!" Severus spat out at his students. "I am disgusted with you! You have brought shame to your House!"

Harry's mouth dropped open as he realized that there hadn't been any Dementors at all! Nott, Crabbe and Goyle had dressed up as them. Gee that's not embarrassing, Harry thought with a wince. He had cast a Patronus on students! Well, more likely a wisp of a Patronus.

"Harry! Your Patronus was so cute!" Hermione squealed as she and Ron hurried up to him.

"You didn't tell us you could cast a full Patronus!" Ron added, looking impressed.

"I cast a full Patronus?" Harry repeated in shock. "What was it?" He asked eagerly.

"A young fawn." Hermione told him.

A fawn? Harry wished he could have seen it. He looked to where his Dad was still yelling at his Slytherins.

"Detention for a month and twenty-five points will be taken from each of you! And your parents will be hearing about your disgrace to your House, I assure you." Severus finished with a fierce glare that had his three delinquent students cowering.

"Wow, seventy-five points taken from Slytherin!" Ron whispered in awe.

"I thought I only saw two Dementors." Harry said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, Nott was on Crabbe's shoulders to appear taller." Draco commented as he, Blaise and Pansy walked up to them. He had an angry look on his face. "They will pay for making us lose so many points." He added darkly.

"They are such an embarrassment to Slytherin." Pansy added in disgust.

"You cast a Patronus." Draco said and there was a hint of admiration in his voice. "Not bad Potter."

Harry laughed ruefully. "Thanks."

Severus walked over to Harry and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations on your win and your Patronus. I am very proud of you."

Harry grinned up at his tall Dad. "Thanks. I can't believe I thought they were real Dementors." He flushed a little.

"They fooled almost everyone at first." Severus assured his son, understanding that Harry was embarrassed. "I am deeply sorry for what they did, although not as sorry as they will be after a month's detention with Mr. Filch." And he knew the rest of the Slytherins would make their displeasure at losing so many points known to the three reckless students.

"It's not your fault Dad." Harry responded. "So my Patronus was a fawn?" He had kind of been hoping it would have been an eagle or a lion or something.

Severus had an extremely pleased look on his face. "Yes it was. My Patronus is a doe, as was your mother's."

Harry perked up at that. A fawn made sense then and Harry suddenly thought a young fawn was the perfect Patronus for him.

**HPHPHPHP**

The next weekend found Harry waving glumly at Ron and Hermione as they left for Hogsmeade. He wished he could go too and once again regretted that he had acted like such a brat over the Firebolt. His friends had offered to stay at Hogwarts with him but he had insisted that they go. They had promised to bring him back some sweets which Harry appreciated. As much as he wished he could go, he realized with Black out there somewhere it was safer for him to stay at Hogwarts.

He began walking back to the Tower, figuring he could get some homework out of the way when he heard his name.

"Oi Harry!"

Harry turned around and saw the Weasley twins approaching him. "Hey guys. Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?"

"We're going in a minute. But we wanted to talk to you first." Fred said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"We heard you weren't going this weekend." George added.

"Um, it didn't work out for me to go this time." Harry shrugged. It was too embarrassing to say he was grounded from going. Although, they probably had already heard about it from Ron.

"Well, what if it could work out?" Fred asked slyly.

"Yeah what if you could go and not get caught?" George winked.

"Oh, you mean because of my cloak?" Harry frowned. "No, I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be safe with Sirius Black out there."

"That's where we come in."

"We have just the thing."

Fred held out a blank parchment which Harry just raised an eyebrow to, looking a lot like his father. "I don't get it."

Fred smirked and tapped his wand to the parchment. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

The parchment began to fill out with ink. _Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present The Marauder's Map._ Soon Harry was staring at a complete map of Hogwarts. "Wow!" There were the names of everyone in Hogwarts and even showed where they were.

"This has been the secret to our success." George said proudly. "We nicked it from Filch's office first year."

"It's one of our proudest moments." Fred grinned.

"Who are the Marauder's?" Harry asked, his eyes riveted to the map.

"Wish we knew." George shrugged. "We owe them so much. This little map here shows everyone in the castle, where they are, and when they are on the move. It also shows the secret passageways of the castle. There are seven but this is the one that you might be interested in for today." Fred pointed on the map.

Harry peered closely. "The one-eyed witch statue?"

George nodded. "It leads straight to the cellar of Honeydukes." He said meaningfully. "The password is Dissendium." He pointed his wand at the parchment. "Mischief managed." Immediately the ink disappeared and it looked like a blank spare bit of parchment again. "It's yours now."

"What?" Harry asked with wide eyes as Fred handed the map over.

"We have all the secret passageways memorized." Fred explained. "It's time to pass it down. Between this and your cloak, you're good to go." He gave Harry a pat on the shoulder as he and George began to walk away.

"Perhaps we'll see you soon!" George called over his shoulder.

Harry watched them go with a grin on his face. "This is so cool." Harry murmured to himself as he looked at the parchment. He did the incantation to make the map appear again. For a fleeting moment he considered using the map the twins had suggested and sneaking into Hogsmeade. However, he was quick to dismiss the thought. He had already been to Hogsmeade after all, and knew it wouldn't be worth it if he got caught. His Dad would certainly not be pleased and Harry didn't have a death wish after all.

Harry continued watching the names on the map. He could see that his Dad was in his office. I wonder what he would think of this, he thought. Hmm, he should memorize the passageways before showing the map to his Dad, which he knew he had to do. And if there was ever a day where he wasn't being sought after by a madman, the passageways would be fun to investigate with Ron and Hermione.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up in surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't seen Professor Lupin's name get close to him on the map. "Hi Professor." He greeted.

Remus stared at the map in Harry's hands. "Where did you get that?" He asked harshly, grabbing the map from Harry.

"I-a friend gave it to me." Harry said, looking at his Professor in confusion. Why does he look so mad? He wondered.

"This can be very dangerous in the wrong hands young man!" Remus scolded. His eyes hardened. "Were you planning on using this to sneak into Hogsmeade?"

Harry stared at him. "No, I wasn't." He responded in a hurt voice.

Remus snorted, memories of the past use with this map going through his mind. "Sure."

"I wasn't!"

Remus shook his head. "Your parents, your mother and James that is, died to protect you Harry. You need to take your safety seriously otherwise you mock their sacrifice."

Harry felt like he had been slapped in the face.

"It's a poor way to repay them." Remus continued, not realizing how hurtful his words were to the teenager. He tapped his wand against the map. "Mischief managed."

Tears began to burn in Harry's eyes at the harsh words. He didn't even comprehend that the professor had known how to clear the parchment. Without saying anything, he snatched the map back, turned and ran.

"Harry!"

Harry ran to his Dad's office, remembering he had seen his name there earlier.

Severus looked up in surprise when his door slammed open and immediately could tell something was wrong. "Harry?"

Harry stared at his Dad, fighting back tears and the feeling of guilt he got when thinking of his Mum and James. "I wasn't going to honest!" He fell against his Dad in a hug after Severus got up and walked to him.

"All right, I believe you." Severus said soothingly, even though he had no idea what Harry was talking about. He rubbed Harry's back and waited patiently for his son to talk.

Harry eventually pulled back from the embrace. "I was given a map of Hogwarts. It shows everyone in the school and where they are, as well as some secret passageways in the castle." Harry said quietly. "I was looking at it and was going to show it to you but then he saw me and accused me of using it to sneak into Hogsmeade."

Severus frowned. "Who did?"

"Professor Lupin." Harry said softly. "He didn't believe me when I told him I wasn't going to try and sneak out. He also said I wasn't taking my safety seriously and that it was a poor way to repay Mum and James for sacrificing their lives for me." A few tears escaped from his eyes and he wiped them away hastily. He hated crying, it made him feel like a little kid.

Severus froze for a second but then began to burn with rage. Oh, he was going to have words with Lupin. Perhaps he would let him suffer the pain of changing into a wolf without the Wolfsbane potion, which should teach him a lesson.

"I wasn't going to use it to sneak out." Harry continued earnestly. He needed his Dad to believe him. "I wasn't."

"I believe you son." Severus said reassuringly. He kept the anger he felt for Lupin out of his voice. Hmm, without the Wolfsbane potion Lupin would have to be locked up. Or…he could add a little something to the potion to intensify the pain instead of help ease it.

"I have never meant to insult Mum and James sacrifice." Harry whispered. He leaned back into his Dad and soaked up the comfort and love he felt.

"And you have not." Severus assured him, focusing on his son. "Do not think otherwise, no matter what anyone else says." Severus held his son tighter as he waited for Harry to calm down. "They wanted you to live Harry, which you did. You survived growing up in the Dursley's house and have become a brave, smart and compassionate young man. Your Mother would be just as proud of you as I am. James as well."

Harry felt a warmth rush through him at the words and when he pulled back from the hug; he had a small smile on his face. "Thanks Dad." He sighed and then handed Severus the map. "I was going to give this to you but I had wanted to look at it first. It's pretty brilliant."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "It's blank." He pointed out.

Harry pointed his wand at the parchment. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

Severus watched with interest as the map began to fill out. It was quite extraordinary. Hmm I wouldn't have to patrol anymore as I could just use the map to see who was out of bounds, he couldn't help thinking. He noticed Lupin was in his classroom and he narrowed his eyes as he saw the word Marauders. Now that was a name he had heard before.

"Harry, I'm going to walk you to our quarters. There is something I need to do and then I will join you and we can play a game or two of chess before lunch." Severus suggested.

Harry nodded and his eyes brightened. After his Dad dropped him off at their quarters he paused in the doorway. "Thanks for believing me." He said softly and then slipped inside.

Severus turned and began stalking towards the Defense classroom, letting his anger come to the surface. The wolf was going down.

**TBC: I think Remus is in a little trouble, what do you think? =)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Enjoy!**

Remus looked up from his desk when he heard his classroom door open. He stood up when he saw who it was. "Severus, I was about to…hey!" He cried out as he was suddenly thrown against the wall. Hard. He automatically went for his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Severus caught Lupin's wand and for a second considered breaking it. Instead he simply gripped it tightly in his hand.

"Severus what is the meaning of this?" Remus rubbed the back of his head.

"How dare you talk to my son the way you did!" Severus hissed, his eyes darker than ever. "No one hurts my son in any way. No one!"

"I don't know what he told you but he has a parchment that is actually a-"

"Map of Hogwarts, I know." Severus waved the map in front of Remus. "He told me. He was already going to tell me. He was not going to sneak out. In case you have forgotten he is not James Potter son." Severus said harshly. "He does not do or act the same way James or the rest of the Marauders did!"

Remus paled slightly.

Severus rolled his eyes. "What, you think I wouldn't remember what you four called yourselves? You're the one who knew about this map and didn't say anything!" He accused.

"No I-I thought the map was lost. I don't know how he could have gotten it." Remus said weakly. "But I do know how tempting that map can be especially for a thirteen year old boy. So I thought-"

"You thought wrong." Severus interrupted. "He had just received it, was looking at it, and then planned to show it to me. How dare you accuse him of using it to sneak out?"

"I was worried for him when I saw the map." Remus sighed. "If it got into Sirius's hands, he would know exactly where Harry is at all times!"

Severus gritted his teeth. "Again, that is why he was bringing it to me. He had already deduced that. When he told you he wasn't going to misuse it, you should have believed him!" The wolf at least had the decency to look ashamed. Severus stepped closer, his wand pointed directly between Remus's eyes. "Do not _ever_ make him feel guilty for Lily and James's deaths. Ever!"

Remus paled. "I didn't mean to imply- I was just trying to-"

"Frankly I don't care." Severus said icily. "You hurt him _wolf_. You accused him of something he was not planning to do and then made him feel guilty for his own Mother's death. What a wonderful addition to the staff you are." He said sarcastically.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Remus said sadly, wanting to kick himself for losing his temper. "Albus told me about some of the trouble Harry has gotten into in the past and I just want to help keep him safe. I didn't mean it the way it must have sounded. I just know Lily and James would want him to take his safety seriously."

"I, as his father, have been teaching him that." Severus replied, stepping back but still glaring at Remus. "It is my job to guide him, reign him in when need be, and teach him to make the right choices. He is a great kid, he's learning responsibility, and he does not need you crushing him with your careless words!"

Remus winced. "I'm sorry. So sorry. I never meant to hurt him. I want to protect him. I overreacted and I will apologize to Harry." Remus looked slightly defeated. "I care about him Severus. I was worried and ended up being too harsh."

Severus regarded him for a moment and then nodded. Oh, he would hex Lupin into next week if the wolf ever hurt his son like that again but for now, Lupin seemed sincere. "So this map is the work of you and your friends? What's with the funny names?"

Remus cleared his throat and absently shuffled some papers on his desk. "When they found out I was a werewolf they nicknamed me Moony. For fun they gave themselves nicknames so we could talk in secret." He gave an awkward shrug. "Kids, you know."

"Yes I know."Severus muttered. He briefly wondered why Lupin was avoiding looking at him but dismissed it, figuring that the wolf felt ashamed for how he had treated Harry. Speaking of Harry, Severus was anxious to get back to his son. "Here," He casually tossed Lupin's wand at him. "I expect you to apologize to Harry when you see him next." He turned and stalked out of the classroom, not seeing the conflicted look on Remus's face.

_**HPHPHPHP**_

Even after a game of chess Harry was quiet and withdrawn. Severus regarded him thoughtfully when Harry plopped down on the sofa. "Would you like to hear a story?" He asked suddenly.

Harry looked at his Dad curiously. "What kind of story?"

"The story of when I proposed to your Mum." Severus answered with a smile.

Harry's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

Severus sat down next to him. "I was a nervous wreck. I wanted the proposal to be perfect." He began, getting lost in the memory of one of the happiest days of his life.

"_What are we doing here Sev?" Lily asked as she looked around._

"_You remember this place?" Severus asked as he watched her beautiful eyes light up._

"_Of course I do!" Lily exclaimed. She pointed to a tall tree and then gestured to all the flowers that were blooming. "This is where we first met. I was upset because my sister was making fun of me for doing strange things." Lily locked eyes with Severus. "And then you came out from behind that tree and showed me you could do strange things as well. You taught me that it was magic and told me all about Hogwarts. From then on, I knew I wasn't alone and that I wasn't a freak like Petunia had told me I was."_

_Severus gently grabbed her hand. "From then on, I felt complete. We may have been young but I knew that my life had changed for the better. You have enriched my life in a way I never thought possible."_

"_Sev," Lily said softly, a smile gracing her pretty face._

_Severus took a deep breath and got down on one knee, holding out an open black box which held a diamond ring. "Will you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"_

_Severus had just finished the words when Lily threw herself at him as she shouted yes and they both fell over and tumbled down the hill, laughing like little children. When they stopped, Severus was on top of Lily and brushing her hair from her face. "You are amazing." He murmured. _

"_No, you are amazing Sev." Lily said as she cupped his cheek with one hand and looked into his dark eyes. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't wait to marry you and one day have children with you."_

"_Children, huh?" Severus mused as they lay side by side, holding hands and looking up into the sky just as they had when they were kids. _

_Lily snuggled into his side and he put his arm around her. "Of course. Wouldn't you like to have a child someday?" Her emerald green eyes sparkled. _

"_What if I am not a good father?" Severus asked quietly, thinking of his own experiences with his father._

_Lily propped herself up and stared at him seriously. "I have no doubt that you will be an amazing father Sev. No doubt at all." She held out her hand and he slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit._

"_I suppose a son would be nice." Severus said thoughtfully._

_Lily laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Sounds good to me. I love you Sev."_

"_I love you Lily."_

"The wedding was small but wonderful." Severus continued as Harry's eyes began to droop. "Lily gave me a lot of amazing gifts…her love, her compassion, marrying me and making my life so full yet the greatest gift she ever gave me was you." He gazed fondly at his son.

"She was right Dad." Harry mumbled as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "You are an amazing father."

"Ah Harry." Severus dropped a kiss on top of his son's head. "I love you."

"Love you too."

**HPHPHPHP**

"The Ministry is working on the cell for Voldemort." Dumbledore told Severus. After Harry had fallen asleep Severus had called a Hogwarts house-elf to stay in their quarters in case Harry woke up and wondered where he had gone. "They are keeping it quiet though. It took a lot of convincing for Fudge to agree as he chooses to believe that Voldemort is dead."

"Fudge always was an idiot." Severus commented. "I am close to perfecting the potion to weaken Voldemort." He added.

"Very good," Dumbledore nodded. "How is Harry? I understand he missed the Hogsmeade trip today."

"Yes." Severus crossed one leg over the other, shaking his head when the Headmaster offered him a lemon drop. "It was a consequence from before Christmas, although perhaps I should have let him go after all as he would have been better off." He said darkly.

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"Lupin!" Severus scowled. "He caught Harry with a map of Hogwarts and accused him of trying to sneak out. The wolf even went as far as to make Harry feel guilty for Lily and James's death!"

Dumbledore frowned. "I have a hard time believing Remus would be so cruel."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Of course you do." He snorted. "Lupin can do no wrong right?"

"Severus." Dumbledore slightly admonished. "I just mean I doubt he would deliberately hurt Harry."

"I do not think Lupin intended to hurt Harry." Severus grudgingly admitted. "Intentions aside, he did cause anguish to my son with his words and if he does it again, next time I will not show such restraint when I confront him."

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course Severus, I wouldn't expect anything else." His eyes were twinkling as he looked at his former student.

"Any ideas on where Black is or what can be done to find him?" Severus asked.

"No." Dumbledore frowned. "It is most disturbing. What he wants apparently is Harry." Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "If we used Harry as bait-"

"You can disregard that thought right now!" Severus yelled as he stood up. "I am not putting Harry in harm's way, especially as I have been trying to teach him that chasing after danger is not the way to go."

"It was just a thought Severus, please do calm down." Dumbledore said quietly. "You are right; putting Harry in a path of potential danger is not the answer. I was merely thinking out loud."

Severus sighed and sat back down. "I could always Polyjuice as Harry and wait for Black to try and attack me." He mused.

"That might be a good idea." Dumbledore agreed. "It is something to think about anyway."

"The map that Harry had, it shows everyone who is at Hogwarts and where they are." Severus spoke up. "Apparently it is something the _Marauders_ cooked up. I will be keeping an eye on it in case Black's name appears."

Dumbledore looked surprised. "Interesting. You will have to show me this map some time."

Severus nodded and stood up. "I need to get back to Harry. He was so upset he fell asleep without eating lunch."

"Perhaps you could take him some lemon drops as he missed out on Hogsmeade." Dumbledore gestured to his bowl of treats.

Severus snorted. "His friends will most likely be bringing him back an abundance of sweets but thank you anyway." He turned and swept out of the Headmaster's office.

**HPHPHPHP**

After dinner Ron and Hermione went to Harry's quarters with him to give him a bag overflowing with candy and Zonko's joke products. "I thought we would never make it to Zonko's." Ron complained as they spread out the contents of the bag on the coffee table. "Hermione wanted to spend the entire time in the book store."

"I did not." Hermione rolled her eyes. "We were in there only twenty minutes."

"I had to drag her out." Ron confided with a wink to Harry.

Harry chuckled as he opened a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He held the bag out and Ron eagerly took a handful. Hermione gave the red-headed boy an exasperated look as she knew Ron had his own bag in the Tower.

"So what did you do today? You were quiet at dinner." Hermione said to Harry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Harry said to his ever observant friend.

"Harry was probably still upset about missing Hogsmeade." Ron said as he looked through the joke book he had gotten Harry.

"Actually, something else happened." Harry sighed. "The twins gave me this brilliant map of Hogwarts for me to sneak out with. I wasn't going to," Harry quickly assured his friends when he saw Hermione's frown. "I was going to give it to my Dad but I was looking at it first and Professor Lupin saw me with it. He accused me of trying to sneak out to Hogsmeade and said some stuff about mocking my parents sacrifice." He shrugged as he tried not to let on how much the Professor's words had bothered him.

"Professor Lupin shouldn't have said that." Hermione said shaking her head. She looked at Harry sympathetically. "He was wrong. You know that right?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I know." He said softly.

"I can't believe those gits had a map of the school and never showed me!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm their brother so why didn't they give it to me?"

"That's not important right now Ronald." Hermione snapped. She looked at Harry. "So what happened after that?"

"I told my Dad what happened. I think he may have gone to talk with Professor Lupin but I'm not sure. We talked and played some chess and then he told me the story of how he proposed to my Mum." Harry smiled.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Aww, was it romantic?" She asked eagerly.

"Who cares?" Ron huffed. "Where is the map? Can we see it?"

"My Dad has it." Harry glanced towards his Dad's office. His knew his Dad was in his lab so he went into the office and immediately spotted the map on the desk. He returned to his friends and spread it out on the table. Pointing his wand at it he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Brilliant!" Ron breathed.

Hermione's eyes were bright with fascination. "This is amazing! Imagine all the work and detail that went into making this." She said admirably.

"The twins are in the common room." Ron grumbled to himself as he studied the map. "I'm going to confront them about this."

Harry was also studying the map and saw a name that stood out to him.

"Ron, honestly." Hermione shook her head.

"I'm their brother, not Harry!" Ron snapped, jealousy clear in his voice.

Harry looked up and frowned, distracted from the name he had seen. He looked back down and the name was gone. Had he just imagined it? I had to have, he thought. Peter Pettigrew was dead.

Ron stood up and made to grab the map but Harry quickly swiped it up. "I'm putting it back in my Dad's office." He said.

Ron crossed his arms. "It should be mine." He said petulantly.

"Fred and George didn't give it to you." Hermione pointed out. "It's not yours. Where did they get it anyway?" She asked Harry.

"Filch's office their first year." Harry grinned though he noticed that Ron was still scowling at him. "Ron, don't be mad." He sighed.

Ron just shrugged. "I'm going to the Tower." He mumbled as he turned to leave.

"He's jealous." Hermione told Harry softly.

"Mischief managed." Harry looked up after he cleared the map. "Why would he be jealous? He wants the map that badly?'

Hermione looked thoughtful. "I don't believe it's actually the map. I believe it's the fact that the twins gave it to you instead of him. I think," She hesitated. "I think he believes that they wish you were their brother instead of him. He comes from a large family and feels insecure about his place there."

"He shouldn't." Harry said bluntly. "He has _both_ his parents and is surrounded by siblings. He is the lucky one."

"Don't worry, Ron will get over it." Hermione assured him as she stood up. "I'm going to go and do a little more studying. Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight." Harry turned and headed into his Dad's office to put the map back. His Dad walked in just as he was placing it back.

"Harry?" Severus observed his movements and frowned slightly. "What are you doing? Where are your friends?"

"They went back to the Tower." Harry answered. "I, uh, showed them the map. I was telling them about what happened today and they wanted to see it." He sighed. "Ron got jealous that I had the map."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Why would he be jealous?" Now he had a good idea about who had given Harry that map. He was surprised the Weasley twins had given it up.

"Um, he just…well." Harry hedged, not wanting to get the twins in trouble.

Severus thought for a minute. "Ah, is Ron upset that Fred and George didn't give the map to him?"

Harry nodded reluctantly. At least his dad didn't appear mad at Fred and George. "Hermione says Ron thinks they wish I was there brother instead. But that's crazy." He shook his head.

"Jealousy can make no sense." Severus agreed. He patted Harry on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You did nothing wrong. It is getting late, why don't you go get ready for bed?"

Harry nodded and with his thoughts on Ron, he completely forgot about seeing the name Pettigrew on the map.

**TBC: Please review if you get a chance!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

At breakfast the next morning, Harry noticed that Hermione and Ron were not sitting together at the Gryffindor table. He slid into the seat next to Hermione. "Is Ron mad at me?" He asked quietly.

"No, he is mad at me." Hermione said in an angry voice. "Scabbers is missing. Ron thinks Crookshanks ate him because there were a couple of drops of blood in the broken cage."

"Oh no." Harry murmured. He saw Ron shooting dark looks at Hermione. "He must be really upset. He pretends otherwise but he really cares about Scabbers."

"I know he does." Hermione sighed. "And I feel awful for him but we have no proof that Crookshanks hurt him. Scabbers could have escaped and is hiding somewhere."

"That's true." Harry said as he took a bite of toast though he thought it likely that Crookshanks was the culprit. He had seen the way the orange cat had stared at Scabbers with a gleam in his eyes. "Maybe we could offer to look for Scabbers after breakfast." He suggested.

Hermione nodded and glanced over at Ron. "Okay."

"I'll be right back." Harry said and got up to go sit next to Ron. "Hey mate, I heard about what happened."

"Crookshanks murdered poor Scabbers." Ron said loudly, glaring down at Hermione.

Harry took a deep breath. "Ron, we don't know that for sure." He held up his hand when Ron opened his mouth. "I'm not saying that it isn't true but in case it isn't, we are going to look for Scabbers after we eat. Okay? All three of us."

Ron sighed but grudgingly nodded. "So I confronted the twins about the map." He confided. "They said they felt bad for you not getting to go to Hogsmeade and that's why they thought you should have it. They also said that after the escapades of our first and second year, you could use a map like that." He grinned slightly.

"It would have come in handy." Harry laughed.

Ron nodded in agreement. "Listen, I'm sorry about how I acted last night." He said uncomfortably. "I was a little…jealous, I guess."

Harry shrugged. "I get jealous of you too." He admitted.

Ron's blue eyes widened. "You do? Why?"

"You are part of a big family that loves you; you have both your parents." Harry said quietly.

Ron felt a surge of guilt flow through him. He sighed. "Your jealousy makes more sense than mine." He smiled ruefully. "Forgive me?"

"Of course. What are best friends for?" Harry grinned.

**HPHPHPHP**

After breakfast the trio went through the boy's dorm and looked through the comforters, the trunks, and under the beds. Hermione examined the cage Scabbers had been in. "It really looks like he broke out rather than the cage being broken into." She said thoughtfully.

"Come on Hermione, why would he break out?" Ron rolled his eyes. He paused. "Unless he saw Crookshanks coming after him and he broke out to get away? Except he didn't and instead ended up in your blasted cat's stomach!"

Hermione dropped the cage. "Stop being a prat Ron. You were acting like a git last night to Harry and now again today towards me." She huffed.

Ron's mouth dropped open and Harry struggled to keep from laughing. "Let's check the common room." He suggested.

Before they knew it, it was time for lunch so as soon as they ate; the three friends started walking the hallways, looking for any sign of Scabbers. Ron was even asking people as they walked. "Have you seen a rat? Or fragments of one?"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded in disgust.

"You better be careful Weasley, Granger has a mean right hook."

"Sod off Malfoy." Ron snapped as the blonde sauntered up to them.

Draco widened his eyes innocently. "That's not very polite. No wonder your rat ran off."

"I still say Crookshanks ate him." Ron kicked the wall in frustration.

Draco shrugged. "So get another rat." He made a face. "Or something better, like an owl. A rat as a familiar is almost as bad as having a toad."

"Your compassion is astounding Draco." Harry said dryly.

"Harry."

Harry turned to see Professor Lupin looking at him in concern. "May I talk to you for a moment? It won't take long." Remus assured him.

Harry bit his lip and nodded slowly. He turned to his friends. "I'll catch up with you."

"We'll make our way to the Grand Staircase as we look for Scabbers and meet you there." Hermione said. "Come on you two."

Draco looked surprised. "What makes you think I-"

"Oh, come on!" Hermione pulled Ron and Draco with her.

Harry would have laughed if he wasn't apprehensive about talking with Professor Lupin. "Yes Professor?" He asked quietly.

Remus felt his heart constrict at the nervous look on Harry's face. The last thing he had ever meant to do was upset his childhood friend's son. Lily would have his head if she was here. "Harry, I am deeply sorry for how I reacted yesterday." He began. "I was only thinking about your safety with Black being on the loose but I should have listened to you and believed you."

Harry relaxed a bit. "It's okay." He said softly.

Remus sighed. "No it's not. And what I said about Lily and James, I never meant to make you feel guilty or anything. Again, I panicked about your safety and didn't even realize what I was saying. I do hope you can someday forgive me."

Harry saw the sorrow on the Professor's face and knew he meant every word. "I forgive you." He said simply.

Remus gave a rueful laugh. "You truly are Lily's son." He said fondly with a shake of his head. "Thank you Harry." He hesitated. "Also what I told you during our Patronus lesson, I just want you to know that I am not at all proud of how we treated your father in school. I regret not standing up to James and Sirius during their pranks on him."

"I don't like that he was bullied. I know what it feels like to be ganged up on." Harry said. "But I know James tried to save me as a baby. So I guess he changed."

"He matured a lot." Remus agreed. He smiled at Harry. "Thank you for hearing me out." He checked his watch. "I need to go to your father's office; he has a potion for me."

"Are you sick?" Harry asked in concern.

Remus paused. "Sort of." He quickly changed the subject. "So you are looking for something named Scabbers?"

"Ron's familiar is missing so we're trying to find him." Harry explained.

"I see. Good luck, I hope you are successful." Remus said. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Harry watched the Professor walk away and then went to turn the corner when he almost ran into Professor Trelawney. "Sorry Professor." He said, eager to get away from her. From what Ron had told him, she still would predict his death in her classes even though he himself wasn't in them.

"Don't worry about it dear." Professor Trelawney said airily. She stopped right in front of Harry and when he looked up at her, her eyes had glazed over. "It will begin tonight…The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, angry that he has been abandoned. Two servants will set out to rejoin their master. Moments will twist and turn, and darkness and light will fight once again…if the Dark Lord rises he will become more terrible that ever he was…It will begin tonight…" She shook her head and then walked away as if nothing unusual had happened.

Harry just stared after her in shock. What was that? It couldn't be a real prophecy could it? Everyone knew she only made false ones…Harry suppressed a shudder at the thought of Voldemort coming back and being even more terrible than before. She's probably just trying to get attention like she does with the predictions about me, Harry assured himself. He made a mental note to tell his Dad about it just in case and then continued walking to join his friends.

"No luck?" Harry asked when he found them.

"No. This is pointless, Scabbers is gone forever." Ron glared at Hermione. "Thanks to your bloody cat!"

Draco rubbed his hand over his face wearily. "Weasley, I will personally buy you the best rat in the world if you will just shut up about it!"

Before Ron could respond, Hagrid walked by them. "What are yeh four doin' inside on such a beautiful day?" He asked jovially.

Harry looked out the window. It _was_ a nice day out. "Do you guys want to go outside for bit?"

"Are you allowed to go?" Hermione asked him quietly.

"As long as I am with an adult." Harry shrugged. "Do you mind keeping an eye on us Hagrid?"

"Course not!" Hagrid grinned. "Snuffles will want to see yer."

"Who is Snuffles?" Draco asked as they followed Hagrid down to his hut.

"My new dog." Harry said proudly. "I found him and Hagrid tried to locate his owners but no one responded so my Dad said I could keep him." He laughed as Snuffles ran up to them and circled around Harry. Hagrid had continued on to his hut where Buckbeak was wandering in the garden.

"Next time we go to Hogsmeade we should get him some dog toys." Hermione said as she patted Snuffles on the head.

Draco looked at the dog a little distastefully. "He's kind of scruffy looking."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him, Malfoy's are just snobs." He said jokingly to his dog. He laughed at Draco's expression. "Just kidding Draco." Sort of, he thought.

Snuffles eyed Draco suspiciously and gave a slight snarl in his direction.

"Doesn't look like he likes you." Ron said cheerfully. "Good dog." He told Snuffles.

"The feeling is mutual." Draco muttered.

Harry noticed Hermione staring up the hill towards the Whomping Willow. "Hermione?"

"Crookshanks is out here." Hermione frowned and began heading towards her cat. "Why is he- Crookshanks no!" She suddenly yelled.

The four students looked on as Crookshanks crouched down ready to pounce on a familiar looking rat.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted and then began running. He quickly scooped up Scabbers and held him protectively. "Back off you-hey!" He gave a yelp as Snuffles knocked into him, growling. Ron held tighter to Scabbers as Snuffles suddenly bit Ron's leg and began dragging him to the Whomping Willow with Ron crying out in pain.

For a moment, Harry, Hermione and Draco stared in shock and then began running after them. "Snuffles stop!" Harry shouted as he watched his dog and best friend disappear into the Whomping Willow. He came to a stop as the branches, which had frozen momentarily, began waving around again.

"Why would Snuffles do that?" Hermione asked worriedly. "How are we going to get to Ron?"

"I don't know." Harry said in frustration.

"We need to get a Professor." Draco said seriously.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to find a way in there." Harry said in determination. He didn't know how though as every time he took a step forward; a branch would come swinging his way. "How did they get in?" He wondered.

Draco cleared his throat. "Um, guys?" He pointed to where Crookshanks had maneuvered his way to the base of the tree. The three teenagers watched as Crookshanks pressed the bottom of the tree with his paw and suddenly the branches stilled. They could clearly see a tunnel.

"How in the world did he know to do that?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"I don't know but I'm going in." Harry said.

"Harry," Hermione started, her eyes filled with worry.

"We need an adult." Draco spoke up.

"It's just Snuffles acting out for some reason, I can deal with it." Harry began walking down the tunnel. He stopped, knowing his Dad wouldn't want him walking into an unknown situation. But it's just Snuffles, he reasoned with himself. "Get my Dad though. Ron's leg is probably hurt." He called over his shoulder. A second later he heard footsteps and Hermione was walking with him.

"Draco is going to get your Dad." Hermione said as they traveled down the dark passageway. "Do you think Ron is alright?"

"He better be." Harry said. "Snuffles has never acted out like that before, I don't get why he would now."

Hermione looked out a window as they came to a small room. "Harry, I think we are in the Shrieking Shack." She whispered.

They heard a cry from upstairs and Harry bolted up the stairs with Hermione right on his heels. They entered a very dusty room that held a four-poster bed, a broken chair and boarded up windows. Sitting on the bed was Ron, his blue eyes wide with fear and his hand grasping his leg where Snuffles had grabbed him.

"Ron you're bleeding!" Hermione said as she ran over to him to examine his leg. "Harry, we need to get him to the infirmary."

"Harry." Ron whimpered as he pointed across the room.

Harry followed his gaze, noting the dusty paw prints on the floor that led to…Sirius Black! "No, it can't be." Harry whispered. Black was wearing torn up dirty clothes and was shockingly thin with lines on his face making him look older than he actually was.

"He's an Animagus!" Ron yelled as he struggled to get up but he winced and fell back down. "Ow!"

"Harry Potter." Sirius Black said quietly. "I'm glad you're here."

Harry glared hatefully at Sirius. "My last name is Snape!" He said as he held Black at wand point.

"You are not a Snape!" Sirius snapped. "You have been lied to Harry! There is no way you are Snape's son!" He stared at Harry. "But none of that matters anymore." He began laughing. "Finally this will be over and what I tried to do twelve years ago will be finished!"

"Leave Harry alone!" Hermione stood up and also had her wand out. "Ron, where is your wand?" She hissed.

"He took it." Ron muttered.

Harry looked and saw Sirius dangling Ron's wand. "Oh, I'll return it once he's dead." Sirius laughed again.

"You're mental!" Harry exclaimed. He frantically thought of what spell to cast. "Petrific-"

"Expelliarmus!"

Not only did Harry's wand fly out of his hand but so did the wand Sirius was holding.

"Hey!" Sirius complained. He glared hatefully at the man who walked in. "Snivellus! What are you doing here?"

"Black!" Severus hissed. He smirked slightly. "Looking as sane as ever, I see."

Sirius narrowed his grey eyes. "Why does Albus even have you here at Hogwarts? Of what use could you possibly be?"

"I am the potion's professor and Slytherin head of house." Severus said evenly.

"Merlin, Albus let you loose on poor innocent children?" Sirius asked in horror.

"Shut up mutt!"

"Dad, you know Sirius was really Snuffles?" Harry asked as he glanced between the two men.

"I do now." Severus gritted his teeth.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but then his weathered face lit up. "Remus! He's here, he's right here! We can make him pay now!" He said gleefully.

Harry looked and saw Professor Lupin was actually grinning at Sirius. "It's been so long old friend!" Remus said fondly.

Harry missed the dark look Sirius threw them as his Dad pulled him in for a hug. "Harry, are you all right?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I can't believe Snuffles was really Sirius." Harry said as he was still in a little shock over that particular detail.

"Nor can I." Severus glared at Sirius. "You have a lot of explaining to do." He said darkly.

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "I have a lot of explaining to do? What about you Snivellus? You stole James and Lily's child!"

"He is _my_ son!" Severus said fiercely, pulling Harry closer to his side.

"Sure he is." Sirius scoffed. "You're lying to everyone Snape and I will prove it!"

Remus sighed. "Sirius, Severus is Harry's father. It's true." He said quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "You're probably all confounded or on some sort of potion. I'll fix everything once I kill Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew!" Harry, Hermione and Ron gasped.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead." Harry said carefully. How crazy was Sirius Black?

Sirius snorted. "Yes, he would like everyone to believe that but the truth is he is right there!" He pointed to where Ron was sitting.

"What? I'm not Peter Pettigrew!" Ron protested.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Not _you_, your rat!"

"Scabbers?" Ron looked down at the squirming rat he was still holding. "That's not possible! He's been with my family for twelve years."

"Ron, that is rather a long life span for a rat don't you think?" Remus asked gently as he kept his eyes trained on the rat.

"Pettigrew is an Animagus as well." Severus stated. "Professor Lupin and I saw his name on the map leading out of the castle. We began searching and then Draco found us and told us what had happened."

"I'm sorry I thought you were guilty Sirius." Remus said as he hugged his friend.

"I don't blame you mate." Sirius assured him. "The only one to blame here is Pettigrew."

"Wait. So you didn't betray my Mum and James?" Harry asked, still feeling confused.

"I would never have betrayed them! Never!" Sirius said fervidly. "James was like a brother to me!"

"You were never after Harry then." Hermione piped up. "You were trying to get to Scabbers all along!"

Sirius nodded. "I saw his picture in the newspaper over the summer. I recognized him right away and I was able to break out by becoming a dog and have been living as one since." He smirked at Severus. "Thanks for agreeing to keep me, by the way." He said mockingly.

Severus scowled.

Ron let out a yelp when Scabbers managed to bite his finger and freed himself. "He's getting away!" Ron cried.

Severus quickly waved his wand emitting a blue light and stopped the rat in his tracks. A head began to form and shot upwards, limbs sprouting out and soon a man was standing where Scabbers had been.

**TBC: Getting closer to the end of the series. About four more chapters to go!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

Peter cringed when he saw the way Severus, Remus and Sirius were looking at him. "Old friends," He began nervously, looking between Sirius and Remus.

"Shut up!" Sirius yelled angrily. "We are not your friends! How could you betray James and Lily? How?"

"I didn't have a choice." Peter all but whined. "The Dark Lord was too powerful, it was foolish to try and fight against him!"

"You coward!" Sirius snarled. "Give me a wand Remus! This ends now."

Remus nodded and handed Sirius back the wand Severus had taken earlier. "Together. One, two…"

"Stop!" Harry said horrified. He wanted Pettigrew to pay too but were they really going to kill the traitor in front of him and his friends?

"Do you really want to traumatize the children further?" Severus asked in irritation. His dark eyes fell on Peter and his wand hand twitched. He would love to make the man that betrayed his Lily suffer like he would never have suffered before. But not in front of his son.

"Shouldn't he go to Azkaban?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes, listen to the dear sweet boy." Peter agreed, reaching out to Harry.

"Do not go near my son!" Severus said angrily, his voice sharp like ice. He narrowed his eyes. "Because of you my wife died." He hissed. "I assure you I will do you much more harm than even a hundred Dementors so do not make one move unless told!"

Sirius looked slightly impressed but then scowled. "You belong in Azkaban as well, Death Eater!" He spat out. "Now that I will be cleared I will be taking my godson away from you and getting rid of the glamour he is wearing!"

Remus looked at Severus nervously, not wanting his childhood friend to be hexed into next week. "Sirius, we will talk about this later okay?" He said to his friend.

"Incarcerous!" Severus cast thick robes to bind Peter's hands and feet. "Do I need to cast a muzzle on the mutt or can we head back to the castle now?" He asked sarcastically as he made his way to Ron and bent over his leg. A few murmured spells and a cast formed. "You will need to see Madam Pomfrey." He said.

Remus gave Sirius a warning look. "Yes, let's head back to the castle." He agreed.

Remus led the way, walking backwards to keep an eye on Peter. Ron followed helped along by Hermione. Sirius, Harry and Severus trailed behind them.

"Harry," Sirius said softly. "Whatever that over-grown bat has told you, I am your godfather."

"Don't call him that." Harry said in a slightly irritated voice. "I'm sorry Sirius but you are not actually my godfather and James was not my biological father." He felt bad for the man but he didn't like the way Sirius talked to his Dad.

"Black, Albus will confirm everything once we get back to the castle." Severus said evenly. He figured it would take Black looking into the pensive which stored all the memories for the mutt to accept the truth.

Yells up ahead made them see that they had fallen further back than they realized and they ran to catch up to the others.

"What's going on?" Ron was staring at Remus in shock.

Sirius immediately ran up to him. "Moony, did you take your potion?" He asked urgently.

"I was right, he is a werewolf." Hermione whispered.

Werewolf? Harry remembered earlier that his Professor had mentioned needing to take a potion.

"That blasted fool was supposed to drink it before he came here with me." Severus pulled the three teenagers behind him. "I thought he had caught up with me too quickly." He muttered, keeping his eyes on Lupin as he hid the children behind him.

They could only watch in horrified fascination as Remus began to change, his limbs growing longer, claws coming out of his fingers, his face getting larger and fur sprouting up. Soon there was no evidence that Professor Lupin had even stood there. A full blown werewolf was standing there staring at them.

"Remus?" Sirius said softly.

"Professor?" Hermione squeaked.

Remus stared for a moment longer before snarling and jumping towards Severus and the children. Sirius quickly transformed and was once again Snuffles as he jumped on Remus to divert his attention. In all of the commotion, Peter had been forgotten and he picked up the wand Remus had dropped. He gave Severus a nasty grin as he undid the ropes and transformed back into a rat.

"No!" Harry tried to go after him but his father kept a firm hand on his arm.

"We can't go after him Harry, not with a werewolf on the loose." Severus said in frustration. Pettigrew had changed too fast for him to stop him; they should have stunned Pettigrew to begin with. With Peter in his Animagus form, he could hide anywhere. "Let's go, we need to get Mr. Weasley to the infirmary."

"But what about," Harry started, gesturing to where the Sirius and Remus were running.

"I'm sure the wolf and the mutt will be fine." Severus interrupted. He looked at Ron hobbling along and flicked his wand. "Mobilicorpus." He ignored Ron's yelp as the red head was lifted up. "This will be faster." He smirked slightly as he kept one hand on Harry's shoulder as they approached the castle.

Harry sighed and as he turned to walk back with his dad, he thought he saw a flash of light near one of the trees.

**HPHPHPHP**

"The Aurors caught Sirius and are holding him in an empty classroom." Dumbledore told Severus.

Severus had left his son and his students with Poppy in the infirmary with instructions not to leave. "As much as I hate to say it, Black is innocent. Pettigrew was the true Secret Keeper." Severus informed the Headmaster.

"Cornelius Fudge will not believe that without definitive proof." Dumbledore sighed. "Even if we pensive your memories he will try and disregard it. A stubborn man he is."

"And a stupid one." Severus muttered. He had never liked Fudge and how he had received the majority of the votes making him Minister, Severus would never know. "He will have my testimony, Lupin's, and the children. Surely he will see reason."

Dumbledore shook his head regretfully. "We will try of course. But Cornelius will not care for the testimony of a werewolf or of any children. There is you but he will fall back on the fact that you were a Death Eater, despite my own testimony that you only joined to spy."

Severus uncharacteristically slumped into his seat. They needed the Aurors help in finding Pettigrew before he could find Voldemort. It would be much harder for Lucius to follow their plan if Pettigrew found Voldemort first. There was no telling what Pettigrew had overheard during his time as a rat. "We need to try anyway." He said finally. "I will put my memories in a pensive and if it comes to it, I will take Veritaserum."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Of course Severus."

**HPHPHPHP**

"I can't believe everything that has happened tonight." Harry said as he paced back and forth in front of the cot Ron was resting on. Pomfrey had given him potions for his leg and told him to stay off it for the night as it healed.

"Reading about werewolves certainly doesn't prepare you for seeing the transformation." Hermione shuddered.

"Scabbers was Pettigrew." Ron said dully. "I can't believe actually I cared about him."

"There was no way for anyone to know." Hermione said soothingly to her friend.

"Pettigrew got away!" Harry said in frustration. "If only there was some way to find him but he is probably off of Hogwarts grounds by now! If we could just go back…" He shook his head. Maybe he shouldn't have stopped Sirius and Remus from killing him.

Hermione regarded him uncertainly for a moment, seeing the defeated expression on his face, and then determination filled her eyes. "We can go back." She said confidently.

Harry and Ron just stared at her. "Well, all that studying has finally made her lose her mind." Ron remarked.

Hermione threw Ron a glare and then focused on Harry. She reached to her neck and pulled out an unusual looking necklace that was shaped like an hourglass. "We can use this, even though it is against the rules." She hated breaking her promise to McGonagall about not telling anyone of the necklace but she had to help her friend.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"It's a Time-Turner. It is how I have been getting to all of my classes." Hermione explained. "Professor McGonagall gave it to me the first day of term."

"You've actually been going back in time?" Harry asked incredulously.

"You've got to be bloody joking!" Ron exclaimed.

"No, I am not joking." Hermione said impatiently. She looked at Harry seriously. "If we are going to do this, we need to do it now." She hesitated. "It can be dangerous and we can't be seen by anyone. We will also get into a lot of trouble if we get caught."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"What about me?" Ron complained.

"Sorry Ron. You're hurt." Hermione took of the necklace and then put the chain around both her and Harry's necks. She began turning the hourglass and Ron could only watch with bewilderment as his friends suddenly disappeared.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry and Hermione hid behind a large rock near the Whomping Willow. They had already seen their past selves go inside. "This is the weirdest thing ever." Harry said, shaking his head.

"Shh." Hermione whispered. "Look, there goes your Dad. Professor Lupin is right behind him."

Harry itched to follow but Hermione kept a hand firmly on his wrist. "We can't be seen Harry." She warned him. That would be disastrous.

Harry sighed and nodded. As soon as his dad and Remus had entered the Whomping Willow he and Hermione made their way to the location where Pettigrew would soon escape. "If Professor Lupin in his werewolf form finds us…" Hermione trailed off, suddenly wondering if she should have done this.

Harry pulled her behind a tree near where Pettigrew would run. "Go back behind the rock. You'll be safer there." Harry told her. "I can do this myself."

"No, we'll have a better chance to grab him together." Hermione insisted.

Harry grinned. "And this is why you were put in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw." He joked.

Hermione started to smile and then her face paled slightly. "Here we go." She whispered. "We have to keep our eye on Pettigrew; he will be hard to see in the grass." She had her wand ready for lumos.

Harry looked to see Professor Lupin already transforming and his dad stood in front himself, Ron and Hermione. As soon as Pettigrew shrunk down to a rat Harry started to move towards him but Hermione stopped him.

"Not yet." Hermione hissed. She had cast the lumos so that she could keep track of where Pettigrew would run. Thankfully no one seemed to notice as they were preoccupied with Professor Lupin's situation.

Harry gritted his teeth but stayed where he was until his dad, Ron, and their past selves turned towards the castle. Sirius and Professor Lupin had already run into the forest.

"Now!"

Harry and Hermione ran, spreading out as they kept their eyes on where the rat had headed. Thankfully Harry's seeker skills proved handy as he was able to keep track of the small creature in the grass. He sucked in a breath when he saw Pettigrew heading towards the gates of Hogwarts where he would be small enough to get through.

Harry was closer to Pettigrew than Hermione and suddenly he remembered the spell Hermione had used on Neville their first year. He didn't know if it would work on an animal but it was worth a shot. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The rat stopped and went completely still. Harry hurried over to it and picked it up, feeling the rat breathing and he could see the beady eyes moving frantically. "Hello again Peter." He said with a smirk.

"You got him!" Hermione said breathlessly as she caught up to him.

"We got him." Harry corrected her as he held tight to the rat. He would have rushed off too soon if Hermione hadn't stopped him.

"Harry, we need to hurry back to the infirmary. Our time is running out!" Hermione said urgently as she tugged him along and they both broke into a run, still being careful not to be seen by anyone.

**HPHPHPHP**

Ron watched his friends suddenly vanish in shock and then an instant later the infirmary doors flew open and Harry and Hermione hurried in, with Harry holding Scabbers!

"What in Merlin's…blimey, how…you just left!" Ron stammered with wide eyes.

"Relax Ron." Hermione assured him as she struggled to get her breath back.

"You caught him!" Ron shook his head and grinned. "Wicked!"

Harry continued to hold tight to Peter as he too struggled to get his breathing under control. He had never run so fast before, he was sure of it.

The infirmary doors opened again and Severus, Albus and Minister Fudge walked in. "If you would listen to their accounts of what occurred tonight, you will see they match what Severus has told you." Dumbledore was saying.

"They are just children and they could have been coached on what to say." Fudge countered.

"Harry what are you holding?" Severus asked suddenly.

Harry bit his lip and held out the still form of Pettigrew. "We got him." Suddenly Harry was worried about how his dad would react to what he and Hermione had done. Very worried.

Severus's eyes were wide with shock as he put the rat on the floor and once again turned him back into Pettigrew. "Incarcerous!" He immediately said as the previous spell had ceased to be in affect once Pettigrew turned back. The ropes bound Pettigrew who had already started complaining.

"No, let me go!" Peter struggled in his ropes. He glared at Harry. "You hateful child! I hope the Dark Lord finds you and-"

"Silencio!" Dumbledore stared at his former student as Pettigrew's mouth kept moving but no sound came out.

"Is that…it's Peter Pettigrew!" Fudge's mouth dropped open. "He's alive after all!"

Severus rolled his eyes at the stated obvious. He gave his son a stern look. "I will be very interested in knowing how you managed to capture Pettigrew." He said slowly.

"Um," Harry glanced at Hermione and then Fudge. He didn't want Fudge to know about the Time Turner. "We found him outside." He hedged.

Severus stared at his son with a mild glare. "Of course." He said though his look said that he would want the full story soon.

Dumbledore turned to Fudge. "As you can see Cornelius, Pettigrew is alive and Sirius is innocent." He said with twinkling eyes.

"Well," Fudge hedged, not wanting to look bad in front of the public. "Just because-"

"No Cornelius." Dumbledore said firmly. "Sirius Black is innocent and has suffered twelve years in Azkaban already. If you want to give Pettigrew Veritaserum to prove that he not only framed Sirius but also betrayed James and Lily, then I am sure Severus has a vial."

Fudge sighed, not wanting to bother with all of that. He needed to get back to his office and make sure he didn't come out looking like the bad guy in all of this. "No need Albus. Based on Severus Snape's account of what happened as well as Pettigrew clearly being alive and well, Sirius Black will be pardoned." He said reluctantly.

Harry grinned and shared a happy look with his friends. He avoided looking at his Dad as he was frankly nervous to.

"Let us take Pettigrew to the Aurors and tell Sirius the good news." Dumbledore said cheerfully. He levitated Peter and then he and Fudge followed proceeded to leave the infirmary.

Severus turned slowly to the three sheepish looking teenagers. On one hand he was relieved that the man who had betrayed his Lily was caught but not at the expense of Harry putting himself in danger. And with the look on his son's face, he knew the teenager had done just that. "All right you three. Explain." He said in a low dangerous voice.

**TBC: I'm sure there are lots of plot holes on Harry and Hermione catching Peter this way, but I figured I would just have fun with it lol**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Thank you to those who take the time to review! =)**

"Well? I'm waiting." Severus crossed his arms over his chest as he loomed over his son.

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Um, well, we went back and managed to catch Pettigrew." He said weakly.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "In the short amount of time since I left you in the infirmary you were able to go out and find Pettigrew? Did he run right up to you and offer his surrender?" He asked sarcastically, aware Harry was avoiding telling him something important.

"No." Harry glanced at Hermione. "We used a Time-Turner." He admitted.

Severus stared at Harry in shock which quickly gave way to fear and anger. "You did what?" He hissed menacingly. He shifted his glare to Hermione. He, as well as the other professor's, were aware of the fact Miss. Granger was using a Time-Turner to attend all her classes. He didn't approve of one being used, especially by a student but Minerva had argued that Miss. Granger was responsible enough and Albus had fought for the Ministry to approve the request. "That particular object had one purpose only, to be used to attend your classes." He said to the guilty looking witch.

"I know sir." Hermione whispered. "I just wanted to help."

"Do either of you know how dangerous that was? You could have been hurt or killed!" Severus roared. "Even re-doing one hour can have dramatic consequences! What if you had been seen by your past self? Or if anyone of us had seen you? We could have been so distracted that Lupin could have attacked us!"

Harry winced as Hermione's eyes filled with tears. He hadn't thought of that. "He needed to be caught Dad. We had to try." He argued weakly.

"No one saw us sir." Hermione added quietly.

"And they caught the rat!" Ron spoke up, hating to see his friends scolded.

Severus took a deep breath as he tried to control his temper. "You two were extremely foolish to tamper with time like that. This just proves that a student should not be trusted with such a device." He said stiffly. "Your Head of House will be made known of your little escapade. I will let her handle any school consequences that she feels are warranted. I am sure she will be just as disappointed in you two as I am. I would imagine she will also send a letter to your parents Miss. Granger." He said coldly. His dark eyes landed on Harry. "You and I will discuss this more in our quarters." He said in a low voice. He needed time before dealing with his son. He was tempted to give the child a good swat on the behind but with Harry's upbringing, along with Severus's experiences with his own father, he had promised himself never to raise a hand to his child. He knew he would never forgive himself if he did.

Harry paled. He hadn't seen his dad this upset with him in a long time. He could hear Hermione sniffling beside him. "Hermione just wanted to help, you shouldn't be mad at her!" He defended his friend.

"Be careful Harry." Severus warned. His temper could not take Harry becoming defiant. "Miss Granger was warned about all the risks and was trusted to use the time-turner responsibly. It does not matter that your intentions were good, you both did a very dangerous thing."

Hermione nodded, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry sir." She offered as she wiped a few stray tears off her cheek.

"I would like you to stay here in the infirmary until I have sent for Professor McGonagall to escort you to the Tower." Severus said curtly to Hermione. He held his hand out. "Hand in the time-turner, please." Once Hermione had handed it over he put it in his pocket. "Harry, let's go." He moved to the door and waited.

Harry looked at Hermione. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Hermione shook her head. "I knew it was against the rules, you don't have to defend me." She assured him. "I wanted to do it knowing we were likely to get into a lot of trouble."

Harry tried to give her and Ron a smile as he walked towards his dad but it came out as more of a grimace. He and his father were silent as they walked to their quarters. Once they arrived and Harry walked in, he noticed his dad still standing in the doorway. "Wait for me here. I need to speak with Minerva and Albus." He shut the door without waiting for Harry's response.

**HPHPHPHP**

Unbelievable, Severus snarled to himself as he stalked back to his quarters after letting Albus and Minerva know what had occurred. The old coot was actually proud of the risk the children had taken! Even Minerva had looked impressed when he told them how Harry and Hermione had caught Pettigrew, though she had mentioned she would be talking to Hermione about breaking her promise to be responsible and not tell anyone of the time turner. She had been happy to take the device from Severus as they had all agreed it was too stressful for a child to take that many classes anyway.

When Severus had asked what the consequences from the school would be, she had said that she would be talking with them, giving them a detention with her, and sending a note home to the Grangers. She then said that she thought they had been through enough and that she didn't see a reason for taking points or giving more than one detention. "Their hearts were in the right place Severus." She had said gently. Thankfully, she had disagreed when Albus suggested _giving_ points to award their bravery! "I may be giving a mild punishment but I do not think they should be awarded Albus." She had said firmly.

It was a good thing Minerva had said that as he had been prepared to hex the twinkling eyed Headmaster for even suggesting such a thing. Catching his glare, Albus had said, "Severus, we now have Peter in custody. He would have surely gone to find Voldemort which would have interfered with our own plans for Lucius to find him first."

Severus stopped at his door, not ready to deal with his son yet. He was feeling conflicted. He was beyond happy that Pettigrew would pay for his crimes as well as not be able to help Voldemort but he was furious about the way it had happened. He thought he had been teaching Harry not to rush into danger like that. Anything could have happened; he could have lost his son! As much as he hated Pettigrew for betraying Lily and James, he would rather the rat was free then Harry getting hurt or worse trying to catch him. He opened the door and found Harry slumped on the sofa, his emerald eyes teary.

Harry looked up and then quickly looked back down. He didn't know what to say. He was sorry for doing something he knew was dangerous but he was also not sorry as Pettigrew was now caught.

Severus stood in front of Harry and stayed silent for a moment. "Was there any part of you that hesitated before using the time turner?" He asked finally. He knew Harry wouldn't have known what a time turner was and doubted that Hermione had had time to explain all the dangers before they used it.

"Yes." Harry answered. "But…but not for long." He braved looking back up at his dad. "Pettigrew killed Mum!" He burst out. "It was worth it!"

"It was not worth your life!" Severus snapped. "Believe me, I know what that rat took from us but it would not have been worth you being killed Harry!"

"Yes it would have!" Harry stood up. "Because of him, the only memory I have of Mum is her screaming for my life!" Tears fell from his eyes.

Severus bent down to look his son in the eyes. "Exactly, your mother screamed for your life because to her nothing was more important than you. And the same goes for me. Nothing is more important to me than you, not even having Pettigrew pay for what he did!" He voice broke slightly. "When will you realize, child, how important you are to me? When will you realize that you are not invincible? Anything could have happened…" He trailed off, trying to get his emotions under control. He reached out and pulled Harry to him in a crushing hug. "Don't you know how much you are loved?"

Harry gripped his dad in the tightest hug he could give, tears flowing freely flowing down his cheeks. "I'm sorry." He sobbed. "I just didn't want him to get away…not with what he did…"

"I know." Severus said softly as held his son. "I assure you, Albus and I would have hunted for him ourselves. There are some things that are to be left to the adults, no exceptions. I need you to understand this Harry, because if anything ever happened to you…" Severus choked on the thought. How he had survived so many years not remembering his own son he didn't know. Harry was his world; there was no purpose for him without his son.

"I'm really sorry." Harry mumbled into his dad's shoulder. "I don't know what I would ever do without you either Dad."

Severus pulled back and smoothed down his son's dark hair. "So you wouldn't like it if I ran headfirst into dangerous situations without even giving thought to the consequences of them? If I risked my life so easily, even if my intentions were admirable?"

Harry shook his head. He never wanted his dad to be in a dangerous situation. "No, I wouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't stand it if something happened to you!" Harry responded. "I don't want to lose you for anything. I can't imagine anything being so important for you to recklessly risk your life…" He looked sheepishly at his dad. "Oh."

Severus looked amused. "Oh, indeed." His face became more serious. "I cannot promise that I will not ever be in a dangerous position. But I can promise that if I ever did do anything risky, it would be planned out and I would have plenty of support and back-up. It was extremely risky when I became a spy for Albus but we took every precaution that we could think of." He sighed. "And even with all the planning, it didn't work out the way it was supposed to. But still, it was not a situation that I rushed off into after only a couple of minutes thinking about it."

Harry nodded his understanding.

Severus looked at him thoughtfully and then made a decision. "We, members of the Order who are against Voldemort, are planning to find and capture him before he can return to full power."

Harry's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Do you even know where he is?" Suddenly he remembered. "Trelawney!"

"Excuse me?"

"I ran into Professor Trelawney earlier, before everything happened. I think she made a prophecy, something about it beginning tonight and that two servants would set out to rejoin Voldemort. I didn't think it was real…" He trailed off.

"That is…interesting." Severus said slowly. Pettigrew had set out to rejoin Voldemort and soon Lucius would be too, although for a very different reason. "To answer your question, yes we believe we know where he is. Yet further research is being done to make sure." Severus said evenly. "I am trusting you with this information Harry. You are not to tell anyone."

Harry nodded. He was feeling a little proud that his dad trusted him, especially with everything that had happened tonight. "I understand." He assured his father.

"Good." Severus nodded as well. "We missed dinner so come with me." He went into the kitchen and began summoning food. He was too tired to really make anything and didn't feel like calling an elf so he quickly made sandwiches and warmed up some chicken noodle soup. He put the food on the table and sat across from Harry. He poured Harry a glass of pumpkin juice and himself some iced tea.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked hesitantly after a few minutes of eating.

"Yes." Severus answered simply. "Professor McGonagall will be talking to you and Miss. Granger about your actions tonight. You will also be receiving a detention with your Head of House."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. That was all? A lecture and one detention? "No points will be taken?" He asked in disbelief.

"No, she has decided against that." Severus answered. He raised an eyebrow. "That is just from her however."

Harry gulped. "Am I grounded for the rest of my life?" He asked, only half joking.

"Of course not Harry, don't be ridiculous. You are only grounded for the rest of your time at Hogwarts." Severus took a sip of his tea.

Harry's green eyes bugged out. "What? That's not fair!"

Severus rolled his eyes and smirked. "Honestly Harry."

Harry relaxed and shot his dad a mild glare.

Severus leaned back in his seat. "I am going to give you a book all about time turners. How they work, the dangers that can come from using them, and the Ministry's laws about them. I will create a quiz that you are expected to pass completely. If you even miss one, and I will not tell you which one, you will read the book again and re-take the quiz. Once you pass, you will no longer be grounded."

Harry slumped in his seat with a groan. It wasn't as bad as it good have been but he was sure the quiz would not be easy. "Do I still get to play Quidditch?" He asked with a resigned look, figuring the answer would be no.

Severus drummed his fingers on the table. "You do but unless you have practice or a game, you will not fly at all."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to let his team down. "Thanks Dad." He bit his lip as he usually did when he was nervous. "Do you forgive me?"

"What do you think?"

Harry smiled softly. "You do." He said confidently.

Severus nodded with a small smile. "Of course I do. You simply have a big heart and too much courage for my sanity." He said ruefully. "I know you didn't set out to do wrong. You simply need to think things through better. Harry," Severus leaned forward and his eyes were suddenly filled with sadness. "I know it is not fair that you don't have memories of your mother. Anytime you want me to put more memories of her in a pensive for you to look at, or anytime you simply want to talk or ask about her all you have to do is let me know."

Harry nodded as his eyes glistened with tears again. I'm not going to cry again, he told himself. He cleared his throat. "Thank you." He managed to say.

Severus's eyes were brighter. "The time I tried to get you to eat green beans might be a fun memory for you to look at. You hated them and ended up throwing a handful of them at me. Your mother practically fell down she was laughing so hard."

Harry laughed. "I would do the same thing now if you tried to get me to eat green beans." He teased.

"Brat." Severus said fondly. "I'll let you view it tomorrow. Right now it is time for bed for both of us. It has been an exhausting night."

Harry nodded in agreement. He quickly got into his pajamas and dove under his covers. He vaguely heard his dad come in to say goodnight and felt a hand running through his hair as he fell into a deep sleep.

**TBC:**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

"_Harry, I have a new vegetable for you to try." Severus told his toddler who was sitting in his high chair. Harry looked curiously at the jar of food. He watched his father dip a spoon into the jar and then hold out a spoonful. "Green beans," Severus told him._

_Harry frowned as he sniffed at the green offering and shook his head. "No!" He pouted._

"_Now, Harry. Just try a bite," Severus coaxed softly._

_Lily grinned as Harry clamped his mouth shut and shook his head again. "Maybe you should try some Sev, to show him how good it tastes." She suggested as she stifled back a laugh._

_Severus narrowed his eyes at his mischievous looking wife. "All right," He put the spoon in his mouth and made a show of how delicious it was. "Yum!"_

_Lily and Harry giggled. "See Harry, Daddy likes it." She said, her emerald eyes bright with mirth._

_Harry grabbed the next spoonful from his daddy and held it up._

"_Good boy." Severus said in satisfaction. His pleased look was short lived as a moment later his face and hair was covered in baby green bean food._

_Lily held the side of the counter so that she wouldn't fall as she broke into laughter. "Oh Sev!" She gasped from laughing. "At least it's Slytherin green!"_

_Harry was giggling as Severus reached up to wipe away some of the food from his face. He eyed his little boy and tried for a stern look but couldn't stop his lips from twitching slightly. He reached for his wand and cleaned the mess._

_Harry's eyes had brightened as he watched and he clapped his pudgy hands together. "Again!" He squealed._

"_I do not think so." Severus said with a rueful shake of his head as he pulled the jar of green beans out of Harry's reach. He stood up and smirked at Lily. "This is obviously your fault." He said lightly to his wife._

_Lily raised an eyebrow as she went so stand in front of her husband. "Is that so? How?"_

"_Our son obviously gets his impertinence from you." Severus informed her._

"_He is not impertinent." Lily smiled innocently. "He just thinks you look good in green."_

_Severus's scowl was interrupted as Lily stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly on the lips. His eyes brightened and he softly ran his finger down the side of her face. "I suppose we should try another jar of food for Harry. Those green beans really did not taste very good." This time he joined Lily in her laughter as their son's giggles also filled the room._

Harry withdrew from the pensive with a big smile on his face. He had come back from the detention he had served with McGonagall, along with Hermione, and must have had a dejected look on his face because his dad quickly offered him the pensive to look in. The detention had been served right after breakfast and had consisted of a sound lecture from McGonagall and finished with him and Hermione writing lines in silence. It wasn't that the detention was bad, as detentions go anyway. Yeah, it was boring writing lines but Harry had felt so bad when he had seen the downcast expression on Hermione's face. He had a feeling that she had already been told off by their Head of House for misusing the time turner and he couldn't help but feel guilty as she had only been helping him. Ron had already been released from the infirmary and had given them sympathetic looks when McGonagall had led them away from the Gryffindor table.

Harry went and found his dad doing paperwork in his office. He plopped in the seat in front of his dad's desk. "Thank you for the pensive."

Severus looked up and smiled softly. "You are very welcome."

"So am I allowed to go back to the Tower now that we know Sirius isn't after me and Pettigrew's been caught?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, after your grounding you may move back. Which reminds me…" He held out a book.

Harry took it and glanced at the cover. _The laws and Regulations of Time Twisting_. "I could easily study this in the Tower." He remarked casually. It wasn't that he disliked being with his dad in their quarters but he also liked being in the Tower with his friends. He liked alternating his time between both places.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "_Would_ you study it in the Tower?" He asked pointedly.

"Um," Harry hesitated. He would probably get distracted with his friends. He noticed his dad giving him a knowing look.

Harry sighed. "Guess I should start reading it huh?"

Severus held back a grin. "The sooner you do, the sooner you can pass my quiz and rejoin your friends in the Tower."

"Can I read it in here?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you may."

Harry opened the book to the first chapter. "Hey Dad?" He said as he began reading.

"Hmm?"

"Mum was right. You _do_ look good in green."

Severus raised his eyes to meet sparkling green ones. "Read your book, you cheeky brat." He chuckled.

Twenty minutes later Severus heard the floo flare to life and he left Harry in the office to see who it was. Only a few people had access to his floo. "Headmaster, how may I help you today?"

"I have heard from Lucius." Dumbledore said quietly. "He is ready to go to Voldemort. He believes he knows where he is hiding. Is the potion ready?"

"It will be ready to use by tomorrow." Severus told him. "Lucius will need back-up. Despite being weak we do not know what Voldemort is still capable of. I will be there of course."

"I will be there, as well as Kingsley, Tonks and Alastor Moody." Dumbledore said. "Fudge will be aware that we are planning to bring Voldemort in tomorrow night, the cell will be ready."

Severus made a face. Kingsley he approved of but Tonks was new as an Auror and she was known for being quite clumsy. And Moody used to be one of the best but was now a paranoid man who once tried to cut off his own wooden leg as he was convinced it had been hexed. "Tonks and Moody?"

"I trust them and they are very skillful, Severus." Dumbledore said in amusement. He cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could also have Remus and Sirius there. They are capable wizards too."

Severus's face darkened. "Lupin may be somewhat capable but the mutt? He is crazy Headmaster."

Dumbledore sighed. "He spent twelve years locked up for a crime he did not commit. Of course he is not…completely himself."

"Do you really think he would be able to show restraint and only fight if needed?" Severus asked seriously. "We need people we can trust not to rush into throwing hexes as soon as they see Voldemort."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. They did have to tread cautiously when dealing with Voldemort as they did not want him to have a chance to disappear again.

"Also, I do not trust Lupin either." Severus said, anger filling his voice. "He knew that Black was an Animagus and did not say anything!"

"I know that Severus." Dumbledore sighed. "I was upset too. I spoke with Remus this morning. He apologized for his lapse in judgment. He was afraid I would be disappointed that he had helped his friends become Animagi during their fifth year. They did it so that Remus wouldn't be alone during his transformations."

"How noble." Severus muttered. "If he had told us I would have been more suspicious of a stray dog on the grounds." To think he had been going to let _Snuffles_ come to the cottage. He shuddered at the thought.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Remus and Sirius could stay with Harry while we are going after Voldemort."

Severus stared at his mentor. "Do you need a sanity potion Headmaster?"

Dumbledore looked affronted though his eyes were twinkling. "Why am I always asked that?"

"Because you are clearly insane!" Severus said exasperatedly. "I perhaps will allow Lupin to stay with Harry if my son agrees but Black? He still doesn't believe Harry is my son! Unless…you have showed him the pensive?"

"No, not yet. He has been in the infirmary since Fudge pardoned him and Poppy has been fussing over him. Remus is there too, recovering from his transformation last night. He is most upset that he almost hurt you and the children. They are both insistent to see Harry."

"No. Not Black, not until he accepts the truth that Harry is mine and Lily's son." Severus said shortly. "After he does, he will probably not care to see Harry at all." He added somewhat snidely.

"He was friends with Lily as well." Dumbledore reminded him. "Remus still cares for Harry after all and he is the same child that Sirius knew as a baby, of course he will care. He just has a lot of changes to adjust to."

"Albus, I don't care about the mutt or how difficult things are for him. If he accepts, as Lupin as done, that Harry is not James's child then he may visit my son occasionally if Harry wants him to." Severus said with a note of finality in his voice. "He is not Harry's godfather and I do not want him upsetting my son with his hatred of me."

"I understand Severus." Dumbledore said. "So, how is Harry faring since his adventure with the time-turner?"

"He is reading a book about them right now." Severus answered. "I will be giving him a quiz that he is expected to pass and when he does he will be lifted from restriction."

Dumbledore smiled. "That sounds fair." He adjusted his moon shaped glasses. "He and Miss. Granger were awfully brave to do what they did, despite it being dangerous." He quickly added as he saw Severus's face darken.

"No points." Severus said shortly. "Do not even think about it."

"Of course not," Dumbledore smiled sweetly and then went to the fireplace and threw down the floo powder. "We will continue to discuss Remus and Sirius watching Harry tomorrow a little later."

"I do not-"Severus sighed as Dumbledore disappeared into the green flames. "Old coot." He muttered. He went back into his office and was pleased to see Harry was still concentrating on his reading.

"Who was at the floo?"

"The Headmaster," Severus answered as he sat back down at his desk.

"How are Professor Lupin and Sirius doing?" Harry asked, looking up from his book. "Did Professor Lupin recover from his, er, transformation?"

"Yes, he and Black are in the infirmary right now." Severus said. He met his son's eyes. "Black still refuses to believe you are my son." He told him. "I am not comfortable with him being around you until he accepts the truth."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"As the situation with a crazed murderer being after you is over, I thought you might like to have a little party for a few of your friends here tomorrow evening." He preferred Harry to be in the safety of their quarters while the Voldemort was dealt with. He assumed Lucius would be comfortable with that as well for Draco.

"But I'm grounded." Harry pointed out.

Severus bit back a sigh. Where was this child's sense of self- preservation? "I am making an exception." He said smoothly. "You get one night off of your restrictions as long as you do not leave these quarters tomorrow."

"Brilliant! Thanks Dad!" Harry beamed.

"I assume you will invite Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger but I was thinking you could invite Draco as well." Severus said casually.

Harry nodded. "Sure. I need to thank him for getting help when Hermione and I followed Ron into the Whomping Willow." He paused and narrowed his eyes. Something was up. He thought for a minute. "Are you going after Voldemort tomorrow?"

Severus widened his eyes in surprise. "Why do you think that?" He asked curiously.

"You are letting me have friends over even though I'm grounded and you specifically want Draco here as well." Harry said thoughtfully. "You said there was someone who was going to act as a spy to help trap Voldemort and Draco's been nicer this year and mentioned that his parents don't want Voldemort to return…" Now Harry was the one who looked surprised. "Mr. Malfoy is helping the Order?"

"Yes." Severus admitted. "But do not mention it to Draco as I do not know if he is aware of what is going to happen tomorrow. It would only worry him."

"But I'll be worried." Harry protested. "About you!"

"You need not be." Severus assured Harry. "Lucius is actually taking the more dangerous role in this plan. I am merely there to provide aid if needed and to administer the potion to Voldemort. The Headmaster and several Aurors will be there as well."

Harry looked less anxious. "I won't say anything to Draco." Harry said finally. His face brightened. "So we get to have a party without any adult supervision?"

"That would be very nice of me but no." Severus smirked. "Someone will be here to make sure our quarters are not torn apart."

Harry rolled his eyes playfully. "All right. Who?"

"I am not sure yet." Severus admitted. "Perhaps Lupin if you are comfortable with that. However, it would be best not to let anyone else know that he is a werewolf. He could lose his job if parents found out and protested."

"Oh, okay." Harry said. "I don't mind him supervising." Seeing his Professor turn into a wolf had been frightening but he knew the man was kind and cared about him.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Harry offered to get it. He opened the door to reveal none other than Sirius Black. "Harry!" Sirius said in relief. "You're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay." Harry said with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

Sirius returned the smile. "I am much better now that I have clean clothes, food in my stomach and had a decent night sleep. So, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"To get out of here!" Sirius said as though it should have been obvious. "I am a free man now Harry. I can take care of you like I was supposed to. I will also get rid of that glamour." He pulled out his new wand that the Headmaster had given him. "Finite Incantatem!" He frowned when it did not work.

"Get away from my son and if you pull your wand on him again I will turn you into a chew toy for Lupin the next time he transforms!" Severus hissed as he pulled Harry behind him. "What part of he is my son do you not understand?"

"I remember him as a baby Snivellus!" Sirius shot back. "He is James and Lily's son. I am his godfather and I demand that you stay away from him!"

"He. Is. My. Son." Severus said slowly and menacingly. "Albus has the proof if you take the time to see it. I personally do not care if you accept the fact or not but if it stop your bouts of idiocy than I will also do a paternity potion."

Sirius stared at him in confusion. How come everyone seemed so sure? Even Snape appeared to really believe it. He looked past him at Harry. "I don't understand." He said quietly.

Severus struggled to keep his temper. "Go to Albus's office. There is a pensive that will show you the truth."

Sirius shook his head. Part of him did not want to know the truth that was becoming so obvious. The whole time in Azkaban all he could think about was one day getting out and caring for his best friend's son. How could it all be a lie? "You hated James." He said finally. "The ultimate revenge would be to steal his son. No, Harry comes with me. I will look in the pensive but Harry comes with me." He made to step around Severus to Harry.

"Pullus!" A purple light came from Severus's wand and where once had stood Sirius Black now stood a chicken.

"Dad!" Harry exclaimed as he stared down at the confused looking bird.

"Bock!" The chicken flapped its wings indignantly.

"What do you think? Fried? Roasted?" Severus smirked as he went to the fireplace and threw down some floo powder. "Albus!"

Harry couldn't help but laugh as he bent down to pat Sirius on the head. "He's kidding." Harry assured him. I think, he mentally added.

"Bock!"

"What is it Severus?" Dumbledore stepped through and frowned when he saw the chicken flapping its wings. "Did you get a new pet?"

"Merlin, no." Severus gestured to the bird. "Could you take Black to your office and show him the pensive once and for all?"

"Yes I will-"Dumbledore paused and frowned. "Severus, did you turn Sirius Black into a chicken?"

"I did." Severus answered with no hint of regret. "He came here to take Harry with him. He is fortunate that turning him into a chicken is all I did."

"Begowwwwk!"

**TBC: Hope you enjoyed! **


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Final chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews and support of this series! **

Sirius sat in the chair in Dumbledore's office. He had just withdrawn from the pensive and now knew everything. Harry was Snape's son. Snape and Lily had been married, not James and Lily. Ah James, he thought sadly. His friend had truly been brave and good hearted to agree to the memory charm. He now remembered James mentioning doing something for the Order that he could not talk about but that he knew was the right thing to do. Now Sirius knew what his friend had been talking about.

"Are you okay?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

Sirius ran a hand over his face. "Yes. I feel like an idiot though. Harry must think I am truly insane." He mumbled.

"Harry is a very compassionate and forgiving child." Dumbledore said fondly. "I think he understands. It took awhile for a lot of people to believe."

"Snivellus is really protective of Harry." Sirius murmured.

"Yes, enough to turn you into a chicken." Dumbledore chuckled and even Sirius gave a laugh. "Although, I think the name Snivellus is not one you should anymore." Dumbledore said more seriously. "Your rivalry with Severus needs to come to an end. You are both on the same side. Now, I don't know if you still want to have a relationship with Harry but-"

"Of course I do! He's still my pup." Sirius exclaimed. "He's Lily's son and he's the same boy I babysat and told stories to." It was the thought of being there for Harry that had helped Sirius get through Azkaban.

"Then getting along with Severus is a must." Dumbledore told him.

Sirius made a face but nodded. "I should apologize, I guess. Although I must say, turning me into a chicken was low." It was worthy of a Marauder prank however, he mused to himself in amusement.

"I turned you back, no harm done." Dumbledore smirked. He held out the tin he kept on his desk. "Lemon drop?"

**HPHPHPHP**

This time when there was a knock on the door, Severus answered it. He stared at Sirius. "I trust you have been shown the truth? Or are you still going to claim that I am manipulating everyone that Harry is my son?" He asked sarcastically.

Sirius sighed. "I know he is yours." He admitted. "I came to, er, apologize."

"To Harry?" Severus nodded and let Sirius in.

"And to you." Sirius muttered.

Severus raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I really believed Harry was James son. As I had already failed Harry once, I guess I was too focused on making up for it to see what was right in front of me." Sirius admitted.

"How did you fail Harry?" Severus asked curiously.

"I went after Pettigrew instead of going to Harry." Sirius said regretfully. "He ended up with Lily's sister right? I don't know much about her but I do remember Lily never really spoke of her."

"The Dursley's are worthless scum who starved and locked up my son." Severus said darkly. "He still suffers nightmares and insecurities from his time with them."

Sirius's face darkened. If only he had kept his temper, Harry would have been with him and never treated so poorly. "I assume you made them pay?"

"Yes," Severus smirked. "If you like to add to their misery, I would have no objections." He offered.

Harry walked in and paused when he saw Sirius. "Hi." He said a little nervously.

"Hi pup." Sirius said warmly. "I'm sorry if I scared you before."

Harry relaxed. "It's okay. You know about the memory charm then?"

"Yes," Sirius nodded. He sighed. "A lot has changed since I was locked up." His face brightened. "At least you caught Pettigrew! Good for you pup!" He caught Severus's scowl. "What?" He asked defensively.

"What he did was dangerous." Severus said sternly. "It was reckless and he and his friend could have been seriously hurt or worse. Isn't that right Harry?" He eyed his son.

"Right." Harry said though he couldn't help but grin when he saw Sirius roll his eyes behind his dad's back.

"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize and I hope we can get to know each other Harry." Sirius said sincerely. "I hope I can be a part of your life." He looked questioningly at Severus.

"I suppose so, as long as you are a good influence on him." Severus said snidely.

Harry frowned. "I know how you treated my Dad in school. Professor Lupin told me."

"He did?" Sirius said uneasily glancing at Severus. "Well, kids can be idiots sometimes. I'm not proud of it." Knowing what he had to do, he took a deep breath and looked at Severus. "I'm sorry."

Severus's eyes widened. While James had apologized he had never expected that Sirius Black would. He nodded. "Thank you." He made a decision. "Harry is having a party here tomorrow evening with a few of his friends. I will be out for a few hours and need someone to watch over the party."

"Me?" Sirius asked brightly.

"Yes, someone will need to watch over you too." Severus smirked. "Lupin will suffice. I imagine he won't let either of you get into too much trouble."

"Hey!" Sirius and Harry protested.

Severus smiled to himself. Now that the issue with Black was taken care of, the only thing left was Voldemort. Tomorrow, hopefully, they would be able to trap the monster. It would be made easier by the interesting wand they found on Pettigrew when he was taken to Azkaban.

**HPHPHPHP**

Harry grinned as he looked around the sitting room. His dad had already left with last minute instructions not to leave their quarters and to have fun but not tear the place apart. He had of course invited Ron and Hermione as well as Neville and the Weasley twins. He had invited Draco and had decided to include Pansy and Blaise. So far the evening had been going well. At first it had been a little awkward but after Remus and Sirius decorated with banners and balloons and handed out wizard crackers like they had at Christmas, Remus had put on music and there was now a table filled with food.

Sirius was telling stories of the Marauders to Fred and George who looked like they were taking notes. Draco and Ron were playing an intense game of chess while Neville and Blaise made bets on who was going to win. Hermione and Pansy were trying on different silly hats that had been in the wizard crackers.

"Having fun?" Remus asked as he stood beside Harry.

Harry nodded eagerly. "This is great! I never would have believed that Gryffindors and Slytherins could attend a party together without hexing each other!" His face fell slightly. "I just wish my dad was here."

Remus gave Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure he will be back soon. I think he had a meeting or something."

Harry looked away. Only he knew the truth, his dad and members of the order were going after Voldemort. His gaze fell on Draco and he hoped that Mr. Malfoy would be okay as well. He wouldn't wish losing a parent on anyone.

**HPHPHPHP**

Lucius made his way into the dark forest in Albania, aware that he no longer saw any animals that usually inhabited the area. There had been whispers of a dark part of the forest that even the animals were afraid to venture into. He paused as he felt a slight burn on his arm where the dark mark was. "Master?"

A rustling in the bushes and Lucius came upon a sight he hoped to never see again. He knew it was the Dark Lord, though the dark wizard was hardly recognizable. He was small, a cross between child and a snake. The skin was scaly looking with extremely thin arms and legs. The face was flat with snake-like features and gleaming red eyes. It looked like a nightmare.

Lucius could only hope this thing was too weak to try to perform legilimens on him. He had started practicing occluding after some tips from Severus but was nowhere near good enough to withstand a true mind intrusion.

"Could it be?" The creature spoke in a low hissing voice. "One of my followers has finally come for me?"

"I have Master." Lucius knelt down and suppressed a shudder at those awful red eyes. "I apologize for taking so long."

"Apologize?" Voldemort hissed angrily. "Twelve years I have waited! Those truly loyal to me would not have waited so long!"

"My Lord, I confess I believed you to be dead until recently." Lucius said smoothly. "These have been trying times since your disappearance and as soon as I had reason to believe you were alive, I spent all of my time and resources looking for you." He held out the wand that had been found with Pettigrew and the red eyes widened. A thin arm reached out and snatched it. He gazed at it with satisfaction. "How did you get this Lucius?"

"Honestly, it was found with Peter Pettigrew. He salvaged it after the Potter's destruction and kept it. He has hid as a rat for the past twelve years and only recently was discovered and sent to Azkaban. I managed to retrieve your wand with my connections with the ministry."

Voldemort nodded thoughtfully. "I see." He was quiet for a moment and then his gaze focused on Lucius. "So you were among those that believed some pathetic baby could defeat me?" Voldemort asked and his snake like voice was full of anger. "That boy will be the first one I kill as soon as _you_ help me return to my full power."

"Of course Master." Lucius agreed. "Anything I can do to prove my worth."

"First, my dear Lucius, let me test my strength." Voldemort said sweetly. He narrowed his red eyes. "Crucio!"

Lucius fell to the ground as the pain radiated through his body. It was not as severe as when Voldemort had been in his full form but it was still surprisingly strong considering how small the creature was now.

Voldemort stopped the curse, breathing hard as it had taken a lot out of him. "What do you say Lucius?"

"Thank you Master." Lucius slowly stood up, his body still shaking. "You are too kind to a lowly servant such as me."

Voldemort nodded. "Do not worry Lucius. You will be rewarded once I am whole again. You have a son correct? Perhaps I will give him the honor of being the youngest Death Eater to join me." He said somewhat graciously, as if this was a great honor.

Lucius bowed his head. "You are most gracious Master." Inside he was screaming at the thought of Voldemort anywhere near his son. "Where would you like me to take you so that you may begin to grow stronger? I offer my manor, of course."

Voldemort gave a laugh. "No, I know of where I would like to reside while we plan for my recovery. I plan to use the Potter boy to aid the restoring of my body."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "That sounds quite fitting to me, my lord. The child is most troublesome."

"Yes, I remember from when I tried to get the stone." Voldemort said darkly. He glared at Lucius. "Well? I would like out of this forest sometime soon Lucius!"

Lucius reached down to pick him up when Voldemort hissed and moved away. "Someone else is here! I can sense it!" He spat out. He moved back into the bushes further. "Who is it? Crucio!"

Lucius fell again, writhing in pain and was relieved to hear footsteps behind him.

"My Lord."

Voldemort moved forward slightly. "Ahh, Severus. Is there a reason you were hiding?" He looked suspiciously at Severus.

Severus smirked down at Lucius form. "I was not supposed to come, Master. Lucius wanted to be the only one to come to your aid." One thing about the Death Eaters was that they were always trying to outdo each other to impress their master and this act would hopefully deceive Voldemort into thinking that nothing had changed. "But after the issue with your diary, I felt it prudent to make sure things were done properly this time."

Voldemort glared at Lucius. "What was the issue with my diary Lucius? I left that in your care for safe keeping!"

Lucius stood up and glared at Severus. "I'm afraid the diary was destroyed by the Potter brat last year." He admitted. He could tell Voldemort wanted to crucio him again but was too weak from cursing him twice already. He kept his head bowed.

Voldemort hissed angrily. He needed to get his body back, as soon as possible. "Pick me up; I will share your magic to apparate to a place I can recover." He hated relying on anyone but for now he would need Severus and Lucius to help him. He would show everyone just how strong he was when after the ritual to bring back his body. And Potter would be the one to pay for his twelve year absence.

Lucius picked up Voldemort, inwardly cringing at having to touch the disgusting creature. He would need new robes for sure.

"My Lord, I do have something for you that might help." Severus said before Voldemort apparated. "I have been working on it for two years, since we found out that you were indeed alive."

"What is it?" Voldemort asked impatiently.

"It is a variation of a strengthening solution." Severus said smoothly. "I have improved it and I believe it will help you have more strength, even with the form you have now." He held out a vial. "It is a gift to apologize for doubting that you would return."

Voldemort eyed the vial. He could certainly do with more strength to keep his two followers in line. He needed them to still fear him so that they would do everything he said to do to get the ritual started. "Has this been tested Severus?"

Severus inclined his head. "Of course my lord, I had many test subjects until I got the potion right." He smirked, acting as if he had thoroughly enjoyed the act. "It is made to perfection, if I may so." He said humbly.

Voldemort reached out a thin arm and snatched the vial. He knew Severus was an expert potions maker, it was one of the reasons he had been pleased to welcome him into his inner circle. He would also need Severus to make the potion for the ritual. This was working out perfectly. "You will be rewarded Severus." He said graciously as he downed the potion, his arrogance that any of his followers would ever truly betray him about to be his downfall.

Severus nodded to Lucius and the aristocrat dropped Voldemort unceremoniously to the ground. "Lucius!" Voldemort hissed. He tried to cast a crucio but found he couldn't. He frantically tried to cast anything, yet nothing happened. The strength he had, little it may have been, was completely gone. He couldn't cast anything! "What did you do?" He cried.

Suddenly there were several pops and Voldemort was surrounded by Aurors and Dumbledore. "Hello Tom." Dumbledore said quietly.

Voldemort desperately tried to apparate, to move in any way but he felt completely drained, not only in magic but physically as well. "I will destroy you all!" He glared at Lucius and Severus. "I will make sure you two suffer like you have never suffered before!"

Lucius brushed off some leaves that were on his shoulder. "I doubt that you can." He smirked.

Voldemort screamed in anger and Dumbledore quickly cast a spell to bind him. Kingsley and Alastor moved in to levitate the creature and with Tonks keeping her wand trained on Voldemort, Kingsley gave a nod to the Headmaster and then they apparated away.

"I need to go to Azkaban to make sure everything runs smoothly with Tom in his new…home." Dumbledore smiled at the two men in front of him. "You both did wonderfully. Lucius, I am sorry you were hurt."

"I'm fine." Lucius said, uncomfortable with praise from the Headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes bright and twinkling as he apparated away.

Silently Severus handed Lucius a vial. "What is this?" Lucius asked as he took it.

"It is an anti-cruciatus potion. I have been working on it for years. It will help relieve the effects of the curse." Severus explained.

Lucius drank it and immediately felt some relief. "Thank you Severus." He handed the empty vial back to Severus. "I need to go home to Narcissa. She will be worried. Do you know," He hesitated. "Is Draco all right?"

"Yes, he is with Harry in our quarters having a little party." Severus assured him. "They are being looked after." At least they better be, he thought. "Thank you for your help tonight. I think we will all rest better knowing that _thing _is contained."

"At least it is over." Lucius said in relief. "And both our sons will be safe now."

Severus nodded as they both apparated, Lucius to his home and Severus to Azkaban. He wanted to be sure Voldemort was in the cell he so richly deserved.

**HPHPHPHP**

"Tom has screamed himself hoarse." Dumbledore told Severus when the potions master arrived. "He is unable to perform any magic however."

"Good." Severus nodded as he looked at the creature who was lying on a cot in his specially warded cell. "No one will be able to help him out of there correct?" He was sure there were other former followers who may one day decide to try and help their master.

"Correct. In fact, I made sure that only someone who has no intention of helping Voldemort escape may enter the cell." Dumbledore said. "Also, we have kept this quiet so that no one will know he is here. Not even his followers who are here in their own cells, such as the Lestranges, will know he is here."

"Severus."

Severus looked to where Voldemort was staring at him with dark red eyes. There was a clear shield acting as a door to prevent the monster escaping. "I will get out one day." He rasped out. "I will kill you and Lucius." He threatened.

"I am not worried about that Tom." Severus drawled lazily.

"How could you betray me?" Voldemort asked pitifully. He truly did not know what to do now. It never had crossed his mind that he could be betrayed. His Death Eaters were supposed to be loyal to him!

"I was never yours." Severus informed him. "I was always true to the light. Now if you will excuse me," He smirked. "I would like to get back to my son."

"What son?" Voldemort asked in a small voice.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you Tom? Harry Potter was never a Potter. That was a ruse. Harry is Severus and Lily's son." Dumbledore said cheerfully.

Voldemort's red eyes widened in shock. It was the last glimpse Dumbledore and Severus got of him before a solid door was shut, with only a slit to see through.

**HPHPHPHP**

Severus surveyed his quarters with a sigh. The sitting room looked like a tornado had flown through it. Streamers were littered on the furniture, products of the wizard crackers were strewn all over the floor, the table of food looked to be a sticky mess, wizard chess pieces were arguing with each other on the ground and nine children were asleep, some had sprawled out of the floor and a few were slumped over on the sofa. Sirius was also asleep in a chair, snoring softly. Severus heard a noise behind him and turned to see a guilty looking Remus, who had stepped out of the kitchen.

"Severus, I didn't expect you back so soon." Remus said weakly. When Severus merely raised an eyebrow he burst out, "I tried to pick up after everyone but the kids were having so much fun that I figured it was easier to clean when the party was over. Then they fell asleep and I just finished cleaning the kitchen. Boy was that a mess, the twins had decided to try-"

"I'd rather not hear about whatever concoctions they were trying to make." Severus rolled his eyes. He glanced around and his eyes softened when they landed on his son. "The children need to go to their dorms and Black to his doghouse, or wherever he sleeps."

"Severus," Remus admonished though he grinned. He went around and gently helped to rouse the children and Sirius.

"You missed one great party." Sirius said with a yawn. His eyes widened in alarm as he took in the mess. "Oops." He quickly pulled his wand out and did several cleaning charms and then began levitating things to their proper place.

"At least he cleans up after himself." Severus grumbled as he stood next to Harry, who was rubbing his eyes.

"We'll walk the children to their dorms." Remus offered. He smiled at Harry. "See you in class tomorrow."

"See ya later pup. I had a lot of fun." Sirius ruffled Harry's hair with a smile. He looked at Severus. "Thank you, for letting me spend time with Harry."

"See you tomorrow Harry." Hermione said with a wave as she and the rest of the teenagers began leaving with Remus and Sirius.

"Later Harry. I'll say this for you, you throw a good party." Draco grinned. He never would have believed he could have fun at a party that a Gryffindor had thrown.

"Good night Draco." Harry laughed. Once everyone had left he turned to his dad with a worried expression. "How did everything go?" He asked nervously.

"Everything went fine." Severus assured his son. "Voldemort now resides in a cell in Azkaban."

Harry's eyes lit up and he hugged his dad happily. "Really? We don't have to worry about him anymore?"

"Really." Severus said as he held his son. "You're safe now Harry. That monster won't have a chance to hurt you or anyone ever again."

Harry shut his eyes and felt relief flood through him. He had been so afraid that Voldemort would come after him again. When he opened them he saw a transparent figure standing behind his dad.

"Dad," Harry whispered as he pointed.

Severus turned and couldn't help but gasp. "Lily?" He croaked out.

Lily smiled at her husband and son. "You truly are safe now. I love you both and I will watch over you." She said sincerely. "Always." Her image faded and Harry and Severus were silent for a moment.

"Was that real?" Harry asked in a shaky voice.

Severus blinked back tears. "Yes, I believe so." He looked down at his son. "Love is a powerful thing Harry, and your mother loves us very much. I think," His voice became gruff with emotion. "I think she wanted to tell us goodbye."

Tears fell from Harry's eyes and father and son held each other for a long time, both crying out their grief as well as their happiness that the nightmare that had followed them for so long was now behind them.

**Epilogue**

"Are you unpacked?" Severus asked as Harry came down the stairs of their cottage. Summer vacation had officially begun and it felt good to be home again.

"Yes," Harry grinned. "Can I – I mean, may I go flying? It's really nice out."

"Go on then. And remember," Severus began.

"No crazy or foolish stunts young man." Harry finished.

Severus sighed. "How did I get stuck with such a cheeky and insufferable child?"

"Just lucky I guess!" Harry sang out as he went to get his Firebolt. "My friends can come over this summer right?" He asked as he went towards the front door.

"I already said they could Harry." Severus shook his head in amusement. Harry's best friends now included not only Ron and Hermione but Draco, Neville, Pansy and Blaise.

"Hedwig!"

Severus looked out the front door where Harry was standing to see Hedwig flying towards them, struggling to carry a box. She landed and Harry untied the box from her. She flapped her wings to show her annoyance at delivering something so heavy and flew into the house and up to Harry's room where she could rest.

"It's for me!" Harry exclaimed as he scanned the note. "It's from Sirius. Here you go Dad; he sent a separate note for you." Harry handed him the small letter and then began to open the box.

Severus glanced at the letter.

_Severus,_

_I thought Harry deserved this after everything I put him through this year. Also, consider it payback for turning me into a chicken! See you later this summer!_

_Sirius _

"A puppy!" Harry pulled a small black Labrador from the box. The dog began licking his face and Harry laughed. "We can keep him right Dad? Please?" He pleaded as the puppy ran around him in excitement. It was wearing a blue collar that had a tag with the name Snuffles on it. Harry laughed again. "Snuffles! We get Snuffles after all! Isn't this great?"

Severus groaned as he watched Harry begin playing with the puppy. To think he had thought Black cruel during their childhood but this, this was just plain vicious. He immediately began to think of ways to get back at the overgrown mutt when suddenly the puppy was placed in his arms.

"Isn't he cute?" Harry grinned.

Severus looked down into the dark eyes as Snuffles gave a happy little bark. "Adorable," He sighed. Looking at Harry's eager face and the brightness of his emerald green eyes, Severus smiled softly and looked back at Snuffles. "All right Snuffles. Welcome to the family."

**The End.**

**A/N: This is the end of my Always series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! =)**


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